The Hoovers Anywhere

Woah Baby!

2012-01-14T15:20:00.002-05:00

Woah Baby! That is all you can say when you are 4'11, weigh a buck fifteen (pre-pregnancy) and have a 9lb 1oz. baby. Yep, that's right. We welcomed our handful of joy, Amelia "Millie" Grace Hoover, into this world early last Monday morning. She came barreling into the world hand out ahead of her Super Woman style in the wee smalls of the morning. She is the sweetest- and yes, I know I am biased.

Snug as a bug!

Sleeping away!

Kyle anxiously awaiting her arrival!

First family photo!


Car ride home! I am lovin' my car seat!

That concludes our tour of Millie's arrival. Thanks to all of you who have sent facebook, email, text message and phone love our way. We can't wait to introduce you to this doll in person over the next months and years. We feel so blessed to have so many friends willing to invest in us and this new little one. Her Mano (a tribe in Liberia) name was emailed to us from a friend in Liberia just this morning. It is Whylalehseh which means "God is Good"- Isn't that so true?

Much Love to All,
Kyle and Jessica

Nursery, Christmas Decorations and the Big Wait!

2011-12-16T15:47:00.004-05:00

So after what felt like a million hours of work we managed to get the wallpaper off and the room painted! This is the finished product complete with everything baby girl needs! Now what? We wait! She could make her arrival any day now!

In the meantime the we've decked our halls and are looking forward to time with family in friends while we wait for this little one! Here are some pictures to prove that the room is finished and to share a bit of our home with you! Merry Christmas and next time you read hopefully we will be able to introduce you to the newest member of the Hoover family! YIPEE!

Making an entrance!

Changing table and crib- isn't the paint color so great! (Valspar Signature in Violet Smoke in case anyone is wondering!)

We have been so blessed that all of the furniture in the room has been given to us! Also, check out the beautiful blanket on the back of the rocker- Thanks Mimi!

Advent candles

Garland and candles (along with our stash of candy peeking out at the bottom of the table)

Our Christmas trees- I think it needs more lights, but this will have to do.

Glittered candles (up cycled thrift store candles! Much cheaper than buying them new!)

Here are a few photos we took back at Thanksgiving so that we could capture our growing family- literally!

Baby Love

Tea time (remember this 100 year old tea set I lugged back across the Atlantic?)

Behind every strong woman is...

Tea party with daddy!

I hope you've enjoyed a little glimpse into our life. Thanks so much for sharing this past year with us from Liberia and back. We're so blessed to know how many people who have loved us and surrounded us with support as we have readjusted to life here Stateside. We are excited to see how God works in our little family in the next year! Please keep following this journey!

Long Time No Blog

2011-10-25T19:45:00.011-04:00

So I've been really bad about blogging on this blog. Truthfully I've just had other places that I needed to invest my time. I promise I'll get better, but how soon that will be is still in question. I thought I might throw my faithful readers a bone though and upload a few recent pictures. We've been settling in a bit here in the sleepy little town of Stanley and finding our way around. Last Sunday afternoon we went out to a local park with lots of trails and a lake- ya know, typical park stuff. We did a little light (very light) hiking and took a few pictures. I thought I'd share some with ya'll! Enjoy!

An altered pic. of Kyle and I.

Balancing on a rock- not easy as my center of gravity has drastically shifted these days.

Pregnant belly out in nature!

Wild at heart Kyle.

Pretty red leaves

Belly shot (also known as the amazing disappearing feet trick)

Leaves and light...I heart fall...sigh...

Before: Baby Girl's Room

2011-09-21T10:25:00.006-04:00

So last time I posted I refused to show you shots of baby girl's room. Well, I'm making up for it today. We plan on starting to work on it within the next week and overall I think it will be an easy transformation. We are opting to paint over the wallpaper rather than stripping it. Quite frankly because it is the easiest way to go about it. We're still trying to decide on a color maybe frosted clover? Here take a peak at another of the rooms potential colors, twilight mauve.

Back corner where her crib will be (excuse the pile of stuff on the floor!)

Closet and built in shelving (note the 1970's era linoleum in the closet)

Other window and corner where rocker and changing table will be.

Not much else to report. We are still trying to get used to this whole 9-5 business. We went on our first church hunting adventure...we'll let you know when we find the right one...We can hardly believe that we are almost under the 3 month mark before baby girl is here! So much to do! EEK! Double EEK! So needless to say between work, baby, finding a church, traveling to showers, teaching an EQUIP International intro to well drilling night, and Kyle's engineering test we've got our hands full. Not to mention the Holidays! Somehow in the midst of all of this her room is going to get transformed and filled with all of the little misses things.

Yes, is going to happen. At least that is what I keep telling myself.

The Newest Residents of Stanley, NC

2011-09-13T14:59:00.016-04:00

Hello folks,

What a month it has been! Here's just a few things we've done:
-Traveled from sea to mountains (we saw so many faces that we love!)
-Bought a truck (a 15 year old dream Kyle fulfilled!)
-Got a job (well, Kyle did!)
-Moved to Stanley, NC (yes, this is a real place)
-Unpacked all our worldly goods (we didn't have much but boy was it a hassle to move)

We're getting settled in here in Stanley. We've been here just over a week and well, it is all very strange. Stanley is a small town- which you probably figured out when you murmured to yourself, "Where the heck is Stanley, NC?" Stanley is just Northwest of Charlotte. Kyle's job is in Charlotte only about a 1/2 hour from our house. God really blessed us with a good location and a good size little rental house complete with a front porch and sunroom! Plenty of room for adult Hoovers + Norb's cat + baby girl Hoover.

Here are a few pics of our new abode. It is still a work in progress so don't judge. We are limited on funds and so we will make improvements as money allows. For now this is what we've got!

Front of the house- hard to get a good shot, plus I didn't have my shoes on and the grass was wet.

Front door in need of a wreath or something...I'm workin' on it!

Front porch swing! I'm working on a table and chairs to match the pillows. It will be nice to sit out here in the fall, spring and summer!

Kitchen (the wallpaper is going to be painted over at some point...some point...), at this point I don't care what it looks like I just care that it is functional!

Our little kitchen table. Complete with hydrangeas from the yard and some wood carvings from Liberia.

Spare Bedroom/Kyle's office, most definitely a work in progress. It is kind of sad right now. Anyone is welcome to come and stay, but give me a month or two before you expect greatness from this room. I've got a few ideas up my sleeve!

Our bedroom. Isn't it comfy looking? I've got some ideas for the headboard, but all in good time. The room is much bigger than it looks here. Eventually it will also house my office- another work in progress.

Master bath- it is bigger than it looks, but I didn't want all of the ugly bathroom stuff in the picture. Please ignore the butterflies on the outlet plate. They will be gone soon.

This is the book/sitting area of the living room. We need a chair or two to round out this space.

This is the other side of the living room. Couch-less as you can well see. Hopefully that will be remedied today! Our couch should be on its way and then we can move the t.v. into the room and hang some art or something.

Our sunroom- aka Norb's cat new favorite place when he gets here. We have plans to make this a comfy space.

So that is just a little peek into our new space. We like it. It is more room than we've ever had! You might be wondering, "Where are they gonna put the baby?" Well, there is another room, but I want to share that one with you later as we begin work on it to make it a proper baby space. There is also a second bathroom, but to be quite honest it aint' much to look at so I thought I would save you some eye strain and leave it out. Come visit us and you can see it in real life!

In other non-house news:

Kyle started his new job the day after Labor Day. The job is moving along and we'll see where it leads in the coming months. Hopefully it will provide him some good professional opportunities. He is studying to take the Fundamentals of Engineering exam at the end of October which will allow him to become a licensed engineer on top of being a professional geologist. My husband is so smart. Pray for him as he studies for this test- it isn't easy from what I hear!

As for me and the babe, we are doing well. We go to our first official midwife appointment here in Charlotte (Fort Mill, SC actually). We're at 25 weeks so the time is counting down! EEK!

(25 week belly)
So that is what is up in baby land. We are going to start on her room by the end of the month and we've got 3 baby showers ahead- what a blessing!

So to finish out the month of September we'll be doing a few things- looking for a Church, moving the Norb's cat,

(Remember this guy? He's been bitter since we returned, abandonment issues I think)

down to his new Stanley home, and entering the world of painting and wallpaper removal. All of these things have potential to cause massive earthquakes in the Hoover home. Prayers needed.

I hope that you've enjoyed the tour through the new Hoover house. It's comfy albeit couch-less (which hopefully will be remedied by the time you read this!). I'll try to post as I make changes.

We've been so incredibly blessed this past month. Although changes seem like they have come at the speed of lightning we are able to see God's hand in it all. We are unsure what God is doing to be quite honest, but it is clear that He is leading and providing so we step forward in confidence even if things don't look like what we expected.

We've got new phone numbers and address. Let us know if you need that info. We'd love to get some (non-bill, junk) mail in our new mailbox!

Much Love,
The Hoovers (all 3 + the Norb's cat)

Life Right Where We Are

2011-08-26T22:09:00.004-04:00

Welp, I thought a little update would help break our blogging silence.

Here are the highlights:

-We are just finishing up a a three week long road trip. Whew, we loved every minute of it, but we're worn out.

-Mama and baby are doing well at 23 weeks! Baby girl whomps around most of the night and day!

-Kyle landed a new job with an engineering firm in the Charlotte area.

The devil is in the details so stop here if you were just interested in the highlights!

We've ended our road trip and are turning our hearts and efforts towards the next stage in this journey. God has really blessed us since we've been back Stateside. We've truly had a great transition full of fun and rest. We are confident that God has supplied a job for Kyle in the next season of life for us. What a blessing in the midst of our terrible economy. It's truly humbling to see God supply our every need.

Some of you, I'm sure, are wondering what our plans are long term. Quite frankly we are wondering that ourselves. Short term we will be moving to Charlotte, Kyle will start his job, and we will welcome our baby girl into the world around Christmas Eve. Kyle is working towards his licensing as an Engineer and I will be staying at home with baby girl and using my doula skills as God leads me in the community. As our friend Blama in Liberia would say "This is no small ting (thing)" and we long for your prayers.

Our vision long term is to work with EQUIP International here Stateside supporting missionaries overseas and training missionaries preparing for the field here in the Sates, but that is a long term vision and we are anxious to see how God will work that out as it would be a self supported position. Pray that we would be intentional in preparing for whatever lies ahead for us with EQUIP's ministry in the coming years.

This blog is still going to stay active. Maybe even more active than while we were in Liberia. I plan to update the blog with a new (and better than the current) look. We want to share our lives with you. I don't mean just pictures of our daughter, although brace yourself for those, I mean stories, thoughts, and snapshots from our daily life. If there is one thing that we have learned from our time in Liberia it is that God calls us to live a life full of the Gospel right where we are, whether that is in Liberia or Charlotte or anywhere else in between. We hope that through our triumphs and failure of daily life you will be encouraged to step out in faith to serve a God who cannot fail.

We've been so richly blessed by those of you who read this blog. Please continue to read and be blessed.

Peace Folks,
Kyle and Jessica

Life As We Know It

2011-08-01T06:00:00.000-04:00

Kyle is home.
Baby and mama are healthy.
God is good.

Here's some photos that prove that!

18 weeks!

19 weeks! (almost half way!)

It's a girl! Good thing because we bought her a 100 year old tea set in France...or rather her Daddy did! However, her name will be kept a super top secret secret! SO DON'T ASK! Just kiddin' you can ask, but we ain't tellin'.

Baby girl waving! Look at that hand!

Looks like she sleeps like her mama- curled in ball with her hands up near her face. Oh and guess what? Her mouth was moving the whole time- wonder who she gets that from? No, for real- I can't handle that little hand on her chest...I know she looks like an alien skeleton baby, but come on she's already a cutie.

In other non-baby related news: We were able to snaggle a new car and we love it! By new I mean "new to us", but really it worked out perfectly (and by perfectly I mean that we had enough money to pay for it out right and we have no debt from it!) and I think we will be driving our 2004 Subaru Forrester for quite awhile. Look how red and shiny she is...sigh...

We're heading to the beach in less than a week for some Hoover family time! Then we are going to be making a grand tour of Western NC. So Andrews, Asheville, Marion, watch out the Hoovers are coming your way- and there are three of us now and two of us are always hungry- ok, make it three of us.

After our traveling is done we hope to have a better idea of where we will be settling in. Currently, Kyle has a strong job possibility in Charlotte, but in the meantime we are going to enjoy friends, family, food and A/C.

This blog is going to be transitioning over the next couple of months to a blog about ministry, family and life right where we are (wherever that might be!). Because the fact of the matter is that no matter where God has us it is a calling. A calling that we hope to fully embrace and live for His glory. We hope you will keep reading and seeking ways to follow God's work in your own life, community and around the world.

See ya on our grand tour!

A Story You Need to Read

2011-07-13T13:22:00.005-04:00

Again, apologies for the silence, but blogging just hasn't been at the top of my to do list since I've been home!

Quick update:

Life has been good since returning to the U.S. I've gotten into pre-natal care with some midwives in Chapel Hill. Everything looks great for baby and me! I have been able to spend quality time with family. The only downside is Kyle's absence, but that is all about to change in approximately 30 hrs.! Kyle returns home tomorrow evening! YIPPEE!

Kyle's remaining time in Liberia was fruitful and we are so thankful that he was able to return for these last 6 weeks. Kyle and I wanted to share a story from these last few weeks in Liberia. A word of caution before reading- this story is hard to fathom for our American minds but it is very real in Liberia. Satan is at work in visible ways in Liberia and we wish we could say that this woman's story is unusual, but unfortunately it is not. That is why, among other reasons, the work of the Gospel in Liberia is so important. This is a story that I think will bless you and open your eyes to the reality of life for Liberian Christians.

This story is taken from an email from Kyle to his mom a few weeks ago.

During our time here in Liberia - there have been several occasions when I've had opportunities to see a little deeper into the real lives of Liberians. One of those came a few days ago when I was sitting in the office with Joe S. - my Liberian counterpart and all around great man. He is an elder in a small church plant along the "Guinea Road" which in this literal society is THE 10 km road to the Guinea border. He is level headed and a very good elder - and as such usually finds himself in the middle of things. Sometimes he shares stories with me - and on this day he shared with me a situation going on with a young lady that had just come to his church. This young lady was running away from her grandmother who had inducted her into one of the secret witchcraft societies that underlies everything here in Liberia when she was 12 - taking her away from her parents. Witchcraft here is not the tree hugging type like it is in the USA - its very real and involves human sacrifice and cannibalism. Over eight years she gave her little brother to the leaders of her sect for sacrifice - and probably others not of her family - she was asked for her sister and she refused - she was asked for her mother and she again refused. She then had to flee at age 20 for her life - and with no family she was on the streets. She made her way to the Guinea Road church where some of her family were and she confessed her sins and became a believer. She said she wanted to have a Bible - and asked if anyone could provide her with one - so she can read it and for just a bit of comfort - Bibles are not easy to find here. I went home that afternoon and was thinking about this story and how I wished I had a Bible to give - but all I had was my own and well - I wasn't ready to give it up yet.

In the evenings I have been (trying) to clean up our house at our little place in Ganta at which point I found a Bible someone (Kyle's mom) had insisted I take "Just in case". It was that little blue NKJV Bible with the flip cover and tiny letters (and magnifying glass) you stashed in our stuff before we left. I gave it to Joe yesterday. Its now in the hands of that young woman.

Just goes to show - you never know what and how things will work out - and for us Reformed theology folks - that God's Providence works in large and small - and in over-packing luggage.

Thank you for being insistent!

Kyle is returning tomorrow with more photos and stories to share from his last few weeks in Liberia. Please be praying for us as we process this journey and turn our eyes towards what God may have in store for us for the future. We look forward to seeing many of you in the coming weeks!

Sad News

2011-06-14T13:01:00.003-04:00

Hi folks,

Nothing much (overall) has changed in the past week. Kyle is still in Liberia and I am still adjusting to life back in U.S. We can feel your prayers and are so grateful for your encouragement during this time! It hasn't been easy and this morning Kyle called to share with me some sad news. Our friend Victor lost his son to cerebral malaria. His son was only 11 years old. Please keep this family, as well as Kyle, lifted up. I wrote several months ago after another EQUIP Liberia staff member lost his newborn baby to malaria about the way death, even of close family members and children, is so common in Liberia. You can't help but feel helpless when these situations occur, but for so many Liberians this is a fact of life.

Please pray for peace and for Kyle as he is alone and in need of encouragement (hint, hint)

Peace,
Kyle and Jessica

Jet Lagged

2011-06-09T07:00:00.000-04:00

Hi folks,

Sorry there has been a gap in the blog. Kyle and finished our amazing trip to Europe and went our separate ways last Sunday. Him, back to Liberia and me home to North Carolina. We both made it back. Kyle is back in Ganta working hard. I was greeted by lots of family at the airport. I will be spending time with different family members for the next five weeks as I await Kyle’s return in mid-July. So that is a brief update. Please keep Kyle lifted up in prayer he has a lot of work to cram into these next few weeks.

I also wanted to share some pictures from our trip. We were so blessed to be able to take this trip. It was such a wonderfully sweet time for Kyle and I. Even baby cooperated and I wasn’t sick really at all the whole trip! We took our time, saw the sights, ate good food and just enjoyed each other! Such a blessing! So enjoy a few pictures from our most recent adventure.

When in London…have tea, right?

Gorgeous flowers with a Union Jack to add a bit of patriotism.

We make that old tower look good.

That crepe was good. Wasn’t it Kyle?

Taking a break at Westminster Abbey.

Beautiful English garden in St. James Park, London

American cemetery in Normandy

My giant hat and I. Kyle LOVES this hat.

My best French philosopher face while standing by Jean Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir’s grave.

Stuck inside of the Louvre pyramid.

There you go folks, a little glimpse into our trip!

Oh Baby, Have We Got Some News For YOU

2011-06-01T02:13:00.004-04:00

So my blogging has been less than adequate...forgiveness is free, right? The silence has been with good reason. We've been enjoying the sights and sounds of London and Paris. Today we head up to Normandy to experience a little more history (and a quaint French village).

Most of you that read this blog has probably seen or already know our BIG news, but for those of you that are out of the loop:

December 25th (or round about!) we're adding a new family member to the Hoover clan! Yes, the two will become three and madness will ensue no doubt! AKA: We're having a baby!

We found out around the end of April, but of course that meant a lot of decisions. I was sweltering and enjoying the finer points of morning sickness in rural Liberia. I've worked with many pregnant women in Liberia, but nothing compares to being pregnant yourself in Liberia. It has proven to be an effective weight loss plan- maybe a little to effective considering I didn't need to lose any weight. My health was beginning to suffer (please don't worry, I'm fine and as far as we know so is the baby!) and so as we looked towards our vacation we prayerfully made the decision that I will be returning home at the end of our trip.

Kyle needs to go back to Liberia to complete some things. We don't like the idea of being apart, but we also know this is the best way forward for the sake of my health and of the Gospel work in Liberia. I am flying home this coming Sunday and Kyle will follow the second week of July.

We have learned nothing from this adventure if it is isn't how to step forward into all that God has for us with hearts full of hope and deep trust. Was this our plan? No. Is it possibly better than our plan? Absolutely. God has led us in each step of this teaching us how to open our hands and hearts wide to His grace and purposes in our lives and those we live alongside of.

Please keep us in your prayers during this time of transition. We truly need it more than ever. Thanks for your continued spiritual and financial support. We will be sending out a formal letter to our supporters in the coming weeks.

Love and Thanks,
Kyle and Jessica

Paris and London Bound!

2011-05-14T07:45:00.001-04:00

Hi folks,

Again, sorry for the lack of posts. I know you understand. Sometimes it just be that way. I promise that over the next couple of weeks we will inundate you with posts full of beautiful Parisian streets and English beefeaters desperately trying not to laugh at two people who have clearly been in Liberia for too long.

We leave out tomorrow (Sunday) for Monrovia and will be headed for Paris on Wednesday! We are so ready for this break! God has blessed us tremendously to be able to go on this trip and we look forward to a restful and really super duper fun time.

Much love to all,

Better Late Than Never

2011-05-05T07:02:00.000-04:00

Hi Friends and Family,

Our apologies to all our faithful readers. It wasn’t our intention to leave ya hangin’ but sometimes blogging isn’t a priority! Not that ya’ll aren’t a priority, it’s just…well, you know what I mean!

Quick shout out to our dear friends the Davis’s. Spencer and Amy welcomed the newest addition to their family on Monday! Jedidiah (Jed) Spencer Davis made his entrance with a full head of black hair and at a walloping 10lbs. 1 oz.! We’re so happy for our sweet friends!

Back to Liberia…

We’re in Monrovia this week for a couple of meetings. Kyle got to sit with the big wigs in Water and Sanitation at a Monrovia level meeting. Now all ya’ll know that Kyle is the kind of guy that likes to get his hands dirty doing real work. The folks he was meeting with are the type that like to talk about doing real work. Needless to say, Kyle doesn’t quite fit in this scene. So back to Nimba we will go on Saturday so that the real work can continue.

We are under the two week mark until we leave on our trip to France! WAHOO! Pray for our sanity and focus over the course of the next two weeks! It’s like a kid waiting Christmas!

Thanks for the support and prayers. The next few months are looking as if they are going to be super interesting and exciting and more than ever I think we will need your prayers. Keep em’ coming!

Weekly Prayers Needs:

Pray for our health and endurance.

Pray for our work to be a conduit of the Gospel to hungry hearts (both to those we are working with and for!)

Pray for our safety as we travel to and from Monrovia and Europe. (Jessica doesn’t like to fly- ‘member?)

Pray for us as God grows and stretches our marriage.

Impatient These Days

2011-04-25T02:00:00.000-04:00

Hi folks,

It’s Monday after Easter. We’re getting used to celebrating holidays here in Liberia, but we have to say that we’d loved to have been worshipping our Great God with friends and family yesterday.

We’re headed into the home stretch before our vacation. In 3 weeks we’re hopping a plane bound for Paris for a couple of weeks of much needed rest thanks to some very generous friends. We’re feeling a little impatient about the next 3 weeks. After 6 months of being stretched in every area we are in desperate need of some space to rest and get perspective.

I hope you read last Wednesday’s post about Kyle’s uber awesome well sighting abilities. It really was a highlight of our time here in Liberia to drive out to the camp and find that the drillers had hit substantial water at one of the sights Kyle selected. I’ve got a couple of videos from the day that I will upload while in France.

No news to report for this coming week. We are working away and the work as usual is “plenty”. God is moving in our hearts and we are trying to sort through the meaning of what He is saying. That in and of it’s self is a full time job. Nonetheless, He is good and has given us much during our time here. Things that right now we are too much in the middle of all of this to see.

We appreciate everyone’s prayers. Please keep them coming!

Weekly Prayer Needs:

Pray for wisdom as we make important decisions for the future.

Pray that we would continue to be healthy (Praise God that we have not had any sicknesses so far!)

Pray that we would be sensitive to the Spirits leading as we minister to those around us.

Pray for us to be energized over the next few weeks and run hard until our break!

Drilling Success!

2011-04-20T09:43:00.001-04:00

About a month ago Kyle sighted wells for the refugee camp in Bahn. Yesterday we made a trip out to see how the drilling was going. Well, we picked the right day to go. We arrived at the camp to find the drillers had hit a major fracture yielding more than the amount that they need! Needless to say Kyle was more than happy with the success! Here are a couple of pics. of Kyle talking to the drillers! Note: the groundwater spewing out!

Time Lapse

2011-04-18T06:00:00.000-04:00

You know those videos where they speed up time and show you a 24 hrs. of a bustling city in 30 seconds? That’s kind of what life feels like here. Last week I talked about the lessons we’ve learned in 6 months of being here. I don’t think either of us can believe that we’ve been here 6 months already. It’s a crazy feeling!

Last week was an eventful week! The largest EQUIP supported health facility, Saclepea Comprehensive Health Center, had a staff strike! The strike was against the Ministry of Health not EQUIP, but it still effected us because Saclepea is a large facility (80+ staff, in-patient and out-patient, maternity and isolation wards for TB and Lassa Fever). We had to make sure that critical patients were cared for and transferred if there was a need. At this point the strike is still going on, but is supposed to be suspended for one week while county health officials and the head of the Ministry of Health try to work out the issues.

Thanks so much to those of you who spent time in focused prayer for Ivory Coast. Last week French forces arrested Laurent Gbagbo and turned him over to the forces of the opposing side. I haven’t heard what they decided to do with him, but it didn’t seem to help the overall violence in the country. The bottom line is that this conflict is along tribal lines. That makes it a perfect storm for widespread genocide no matter who is in charge. Please continue to pray.

This week we continue to tackle the beast that is meeting the water and health needs of Nimba County. We pray that we do this with the Gospel on our lips and in our hearts. We also turn our eyes toward the death and resurrection of our Savior- He is after all the reason we are here. We pray that Easter will be alive in your home, but more so in your heart. We pray that we all would experience Easter in the dusty corners of our hearts that need cleaning out (hopefully you won’t find any hand sized spiders like I do here!).

Weekly Prayer Needs:

Pray for our hearts to be focused on the Gospel.

Pray that we would run with endurance this crazy race.

Pray that our marriage would be guarded and guided by God.

Pray for all of the little projects that we are invested in here. Pray that there would be fruit and that we would have wisdom as to how to continue.

What We’ve Learned So Far…

2011-04-13T02:00:00.000-04:00

We’re inching up on the half way mark of this journey. I thought it might be good to make a post about the things that we’ve learned thus far.

First, let us revisit why it is we came here in the first place. Well, our first reason was of course our belief in the Gospel and it’s ability to transform hearts, minds and lives. We still firmly believe in this calling for every believer’s life, not just our own. Our second reason was to explore foreign, long term missions as a calling for our life. We have indeed plumbed the depths of this concept during our time here. We are confident in the fact that there are few things more important than carrying the Gospel to the ends of the earth in Word and deed.

That brings me around to the things we’ve learned over the last 6 months of this journey:

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the ONLY thing worth living and dying for- not clean water, not good health care, not anything this world can offer.
We can live (without killing each other) in 90 degree year round heat, without running or hot water, unidentifiable disgusting smells, and limited electricity.
An irreverant older woman (as described in Titus 2) is a woman who you hear before you see as once said by Voddie Bocom – we’ve observed this to be true thanks to our neighbors
We love Liberians in all their frustrating, puzzling at times, quirkiness. Speaking Liberian English is one of the most fun gifts of this journey. Although it has taken it’s toll on our once verbose vocabulary. (o.k. maybe not too big of a toll- I did just use verbose in a sentence!)
We’re headed back to the U.S. at the end of this with a clearer understanding of the struggle of missionaries all over the globe and have a deep passion to motivate the Body of Christ to take hold of a renewed vision for the work of the Gospel all over the world.
We’re unbelievably blessed in America- I don’t mean this in a trite, just got back from a two week mission’s trip, sort of way. I speak this from the depth of my experiences here and through eyes that have witnessed a woman nearly bleed to death from a complication that would have never happened in America. Eyes that have seen mats on dirt floors where women push out new life and lose their own.
“You don’t have to be successful, you just have to be faithful.” We’ve come to know the words of, EQUIP International’s Director Barrie Flitcroft, to be abundantly true as this journey has thrown us more than our fair share of curveballs.
We realized that some of the most needy people in the world are not poor Africans living in huts. They are broken people just like you and me trying to run after jobs and worldly success to fill a gaping hole in their souls.
We now have gained the ability to dwell alongside of the world’s most frightening creatures- once you’ve found a green mamba in your bathroom a household roach is like child’s play.

I could go on listing for days the way God is teaching our hearts, stretching our sanity and reshaping our lives to reflect more of Him and I think those are lessons worth the journey.

Prayers for Ivory Coast

2011-04-11T07:00:00.000-04:00

Quick Update:

Last week went as usual with the exception of Kyle’s Birthday! (just in case you hadn’t heard!) Many of you will be receiving our newsletter this week. Much of the information is pulled from our rantings on our blog, but other pieces are (including a few pics for your fridge!) straight from our heart. Those of you who get our newsletter- read it, enjoy it, and post in on your fridge and remember to pray for us!

In other news…

The refugee situation continues to change and there are differing reports coming out of the Ivory Coast. At one point there were reports of a surrender on the part of the defeated, former president. Then there were reports that Gbagbo has not surrendered and was simply using it as a ploy to re-arm his troops. Meanwhile, thousands continue to flood into the more Southern Counties of Liberia. We’ve been extremely aware of the lack of press that this is making in light of events in Japan, across the Middle-East, Libya and now Nigeria. The situation needs much prayer- the future of the country is unclear, but there is one thing that is clear- many are suffering.

So this week I thought I might call upon everyone that reads this blog to spend a few minutes praying for the situation. I know it’s really easy to read the stories on the BBC or read our blog and say to yourself, “What a sad thing that is happening in the Ivory Coast!” and then go on with the day. I’m saying that to myself just as much to anyone that reads this blog. The fact of the matter is that this is a real matter of prayer for us here. We pray that this week it might be a matter of prayer for you, your small group, your ladies Bible study, men’s prayer breakfast, etc…Lift the people of the Ivory Coast up to our Father this week.

Pray for peace. Pray for mercy. Pray that the violence would end. Pray that through this suffering many might come to know the Father.

Happy Birthday Mr. Karrrrllllll

2011-04-06T06:00:00.000-04:00

Yes, today marks 30 years of life for Kyle. He’s never been big on Birthdays, but I love them and always try to make a big deal out of his! I’ve shared 7 of those years with him and for that I am so thankful. He’s my best friend, my husband and the only person in whole wide world that I would want to be on this journey with.

I bought him this:

I also made him a video that I will upload for everyone to see when we go on vacation next month! Let’s just say that Liberian’s sing Happy Birthday about 500 different ways.

Leave him some love on his facebook and the blog today.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MR. KARRRRRRLLLLLLL! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

TOMS Ain’t Got Nothin’ on Us

2011-04-05T06:00:00.000-04:00

So most people know about TOMS shoes. Ya know, the hipster shoes that are not in reality that cute, but cost a bundle which is justified by the fact that a child in the third world (presumably barefoot) gets an equally ugly pair of shoes whenever you buy yours. Kind of cruel if you ask me.

I’m not bitter. Really, I’m not.

Here’s the point, we’ve told you about the boys that live in the leprosy/TB community and make carvings, baskets and other crafts. Well, we have a system with them that we help them out with small money once a month in exchange for some of the best pieces that they can make. Last month we gave them their “contracts” and their small money. They know that technically they aren’t supposed to ask for any more money until the next month, but there is always some reason they find to come and ask for some more. We’re used to this so it was no surprise when Elijah came to us and said (with pouty, sad eyes), “Someone stole my school shoes from my house and I need money for school shoes”. Kyle looked at his feet and said that he was wearing shoes so he didn’t see the problem. The problem was that they were slippers (otherwise known as flip flops in America) and not proper school shoes. Kyle then proceeded to inquire about where the other money went. Elijah had used it to pay his rent for the next year. Great, in theory, but in reality when you live in a place where people steal shoes from your house you should probably put some aside “just in case” something crazy happens- because crazy things do happen here! So there Kyle was denying money to Elijah for shoes- man, how anti-hipster of him.

Fast forward two weeks- the boys bring their monthly supply of carvings, baskets and the wild card-that could be anything- craft (we’ve got a lot of gifts for ya’ll when we get back- and not all of you will like them!) and Kyle went to meet them out by the gate. They always try to sell us additional items and when Elijah (Mr. I don’t have any school shoes cuz someone stole them out of my house) pulled out his most recent creation Mr. Kyle couldn’t wait to rush back to the house and dig out the needed money to make a purchase. Kyle comes back in the house where I am making dinner with a ridiculous grin on his face and announces that he has found his Birthday present (April 6th in case you are wondering- the big 3-0 for him!) and that I should go buy it for him. We dug up the money and I sent Kyle back out to buy it for fear that I would get roped into buying something else.

I’ve learned that Kyle’s taste is well…how do I put this delicately…interesting.

It came as no surprise when he came back through the gate carrying this:

Yes folks, a duck/basket- dasket if you will- constructed out of palm. It’s actually quite amazing. Our friends here thought it was pretty awesome and we all agreed that it was kind of like something you would find in Ten Thousand Villages. So there it is folks. We got a dasket and Elijah got his new shoes. Kind of brings a tear to your eye.

Really though, TOMS are ugly, overpriced shoes. I’m gonna have to check on Elijah’s purchase and make sure they are decent, durable, sensible looking shoes- and I draw the line when he starts asking us to buy him girl’s jeans. Please don’t leave comments defending TOMS. I’ve linked to their website about a million times so that should be enough to prove that we’re not trying to steal business from TOMS.

Although we will take orders for daskets.

Short Week

2011-04-04T06:00:00.000-04:00

We had a short one last week because we stole a couple of days of rest at the beginning of the week- but somehow when you have a short week it always ends up being crazier in the end. You have to cram 5 days into 3 days! We’ve come to expect this and we are hanging on here in Liberia with each passing week and standing in awe of God’s ability to sustain through even the most unexpected of situations. It doesn’t take being a missionary in the middle of nowhere Liberia to experience God’s grace and sustaining love in our lives. I hope that you’re experiencing that right where you are.

Staff meeting, spiders, new faces, lots of laughter, even more headaches and a few bumpy car rides, Liberian English ruining our vocabulary…that just about sums up the week.

This week Kyle heads back out to New Yourpea to finish a few things on the water system that he installed a couple of weeks ago. Plus, someone (and it isn’t me!) has a Birthday this week. He doesn’t really want to talk about it, but personally I do, because he’s a great man and 30 is not something to cry over- not that he’s been crying over it just misting a little bit- and I think that 30 is going to be the best decade yet for us! I’m not going to mention that I have a couple of years left in my 20s…that makes him feel bad. phhhhttttt…Leave him some Birthday love on the blog this Wednesday and read tomorrow’s post to find out about his Birthday present.

Weekly Prayer Needs:

Pray for us as we travel this week

Pray for rest and endurance to continue this race.

Pray for our marriage as we struggle to carve out time for one another here.

Pray for those that we serve and serve with to see and hear the Gospel clearly.

Franklin Graham Festival

2011-04-01T06:00:00.000-04:00

I wanted to share this link for those who are interested. I know may of you are involved with the yearly Operation Christmas Child project through your churches so I thought you might enjoy reading about this recent event. Samaritan’s Purse (who has a very active work in Liberia) hosted a month long Festival of Life all over the country during the month of March.

Franklin Graham visited along with another evangelist, R.V. Brown, from the U. S. They travelled to many rural areas to do crusades (including Ganta!) and capped the month off with a 3 day long crusade in Monrovia. Along the way Franklin Graham attended the dedication of the newly rebuilt African Bible College. From what we’ve heard the event was a great success and God was honored through this event! Check it out!

Read more about this great event and how God is using it in Liberia!

Samaritan’s Purse/ Festival of Life 2011

Good Internet = New Videos!

2011-03-30T06:00:00.000-04:00

Well, I’ve raved and raved about the great internet we had in Monrovia this past weekend! It was doubly amazing because it allowed me to upload some videos! So take a look at the handful of short videos that I’ve taken since we’ve been here! I’m no Steven Spielberg so don’t be surprised when you see the quality and lack of cinematographic vision- sorry Bryce.

International Hoover’s super duper awesome youtube channel!

I give the videos two thumbs up!

Weekend Away

2011-03-28T06:00:00.000-04:00

Over the weekend we made a break for it to Monrovia. Kyle’s eyes were beginning to look glassy and I feared I was losing him to the dark side. It was time for a little R&R. We’re feeling much better- amazing what hot water and internet that moves faster than a tree sloth can do for the soul!

Last week was an interesting week. Kyle went to the village where they are transporting refugees to the camp (they call it a way station) to oversee the installation of an emergency water system. Can anyone else put “emergency water system installation” on their resume? Didn’t think so!

I spent a couple of days in maternity ward of Saclepea Comprehensive Health Center (SCHC) and got to see a couple of births and work with some expectant moms! I have to say that I was incredibly impressed with the midwives at SCHC. They have been doing this for years and I learned a lot just watching them. Just my element! Also exciting news is that I was able to finish all requirements to submit for certification with DONA International as a birth doula! I will FINALLY be certified! Kyle is happy about this because he thinks the hoops that I have had to jump through are ABSOLUTELY ridiculous- in some ways he is right…but it’s what you do! Soon and very soon I can put CD(DONA) behind my name…Ahhhhhhh….

We’re headed back up to our Ganta home either today (Monday) or Tuesday morning. We hop right back into the thick of things. The majority of the refugee influx has moved to the south (another county is now being heavily impacted) as fighting has moved south towards the capital of Cote d’Ivoire. The situation in Ivory Coast is increasingly desperate and civil war is imminent. The international press is giving little to no attention to the situation in light of Libya, Japan and the riots in the Middle East.

It’s hard to remember in the midst of all of that is going on in the world that God is always, eternally, now and forever in control. Through our time here in Liberia we have been reminded how little control we have over this world. It’s easy to think in the perceived safety of our daily lives, routines and schedules that we exert some little tidbit of control over everything that happens. That is pride folks. Dirty, stinkin’ rotten pride and God hates it. Sorry to be so blunt- but we live with people who have been through decades of civil war. There is no pretense of control here- lots of other issues- but no pretense of control. No, God is the one that has numbered the hairs on our heads and holds everything together. Living here in Liberia we are reminded just how tenuous life is. It is a lesson that I hope Kyle and I won’t soon forget.

So in that light we move forward- trusting that God has us in the palm of His hand. Won’t you trust Him with us?

Weekly Prayer Needs:

Pray for continued rest in the midst of busyness and craziness!

Pray for safety as we travel

Pray for wisdom as we look towards the future

Pray for a vision for ministry that reaches deep into the needs of those we encounter on a daily basis.

Pray for our marriage as we daily seek to honor God through the gift of marriage.

Liberia: A Neighbour's Help

2011-03-26T10:26:00.002-04:00

While the rest of the world's eyes are locked on Libya and the Middle East this is what is going on in the Ivory Coast and Liberia.

Liberia: A Neighbour's Help

Peace Folks,
K & J

Liberian Dictionary

2011-03-24T06:00:00.001-04:00

So by now Kyle and I have been fully immersed in language study. Not language study in the formal sense, but language study in the “What are these people talking about sense?” Liberians speak English, but that is debatable. Listening to Liberian English is a skill. One interesting thing about Liberian English is some of the words used have all but disappeared from American English. Some of the words are strictly made up by Liberians but they somehow make sense.

Here are a few of our favorites:

Constraints: A constraint is anything that keeps you from being able to complete your work. For instance someone said to me the other day when questioned about why something wasn’t done, “You must understand my constraints.” We hear that word a lot.

Embarrassed: Embarrassment is not meant in the same way we mean embarrassed. It means more or less to be challenged by something. You can say things like, “The car embarrassed me this morning when it wouldn’t start.” It’s amazing how many inanimate objects can embarrass Liberians.

Vexed: This is a favorite word of ours. It is the word you used when anyone has really ticked you off. It sounds way nicer than other words that might get used in those situations. We like to think that just as Justin Timberlake was responsible for bringing sexy back a couple of years ago we would like to be the ones to bring vexed back to America.

Gocome: It’s as simple as this: I am going somewhere and then I will come right back. “I will gocome to the bank, ok?”

Add these to your Liberian English dictionary and before you know it you’ll be as confused as we are about what our Liberian friends are saying! We’ll add more words to this “dictionary” as they come to our mind.

Mouse in the House on a Monday

2011-03-21T06:00:00.000-04:00

Top of the Mornin’ to Ya! (said in my best leprechaun voice- sorry we missed St. Patrick’s Day)

Hope that Monday in North America is all you ever dreamed it could be. Phhhhhhttttttttt…..yeah, right.

We’re sleepin’ off the week and heeding God’s command to take a day of rest as I write this. Problem is we need more than one day of rest. When I say “we” I mean Kyle. Kyle is exhausted from work and playing mean tricks on me. What is that you say? Kyle? Play tricks on you? No. Never. It just can’t be. Yes, mean tricks on his gorgeous, hard working, intelligent, incredibly forgiving wife.

Picture the scene:

I’m walking across our front yard with arms full of brooms, mops, household cleaners with my heart, mind and muscles set to destroy that black icky stuff growing in our shower. Kyle, walking to the car, passes me by with a smile and sweetly says there is a surprise for me in the house. Awwwwww, my husband in the midst of exhaustion and stress has taken the time to remember his (insert description from the end of the previous paragraph) wife. He gets in the car because his work for the week is not yet through and he must continue on to the far reaches of Nimba County, my knight…sigh….I rush to the front door, unlock it with trembling hands, dropping the broom and mop. I enter the room eyes scanning for a glimpse of my surprise! Then I see it...lying supine on the floor, nose pointed to the ceiling.

WARNING: The following photos may induce panic attacks in those of you that suffer from musophobia (fear of mice).

My surprise was a dead mouse.

Not really what I was hoping for. Panic attacks are not good surprises…ironically enough. The panic didn’t come from the dead mouse. No, the mouse was not the problem. It was the unknown killer of the dead mouse. Is it me or does it seem weird that a mouse would die mid-stride in the middle of the floor? My first thought was a snake! As you recall we had a snake in our house about a week after getting here, but Kyle reminded me that the snake would have eaten the mouse. Then I thought maybe it’s a spider! If it was the spider left no marks and disappeared into the ether (otherwise known as our ceiling). So that leaves a short list of ways that the mouseketeer could have died; a health issue (I’ve heard heart disease is the #1 leading cause of death in mice- all that cheese and peanut butter they steal off of mouse traps) or a tragic accident. I guess we’ll never know.

That is life in Liberia- dead mice in your house, lizards and spiders ogling you from the walls, disgusting smells that you can’t locate wafting across your olfactory nerves on a near constant basis. Yes, life in Liberia- truly unforgettable. (cue the Nat King Cole)

What else happened last week you might ask? Kyle managed to finish up sighting some new well locations at the 1st refugee camp along with his hundred other responsibilities. I finished up a few projects that I’ve been working on and spent some more time getting to know the kiddos that I’m investing in for my Bible Club of sorts. Martin is still my favorite.

Next week Kyle is headed back out to New Yourpea along the border to finish installing a water system. The rush of refugees has calmed over the last week as the conflict has moved to the south of Nimba, so breathe out and know that it’s still safe for Kyle to go out there. I will be spending some time in the maternity ward at Saclepea Comprehensive Health Center. I am excited to spend some time observing there and hopefully giving some input so that Liberian nurses and midwives can better serve their patients.

God continues to be faithful to us here in Liberia. Though we have had times in recent days that we thought we just couldn’t be stretched any further God always proves one step ahead and endlessly merciful. Isn’t that what this is all about anyway? Glorifying God and enjoying Him forever? Right now is a part of forever so we are living here in Liberia, ministering out of our weakness and trying to live out a life of glorifying and enjoying Him in the here and now forever. Thanks for journeying along with us.

Weekly Prayer Needs:

Pray for our safety as we travel and work.

Pray for rest in the midst of busyness.

Pray for our hearts to be softened to the Word of God.

Pray for those we work with to be softened by the Holy Spirit to the truth of the Gospel.

Super Cool Guy

2011-03-16T06:00:00.000-04:00

This is Sam.

Sam is 5. Sam is wearing Kyle’s Cubs hat and sunglasses. We had to wrestle them away from him. Sam has a constantly ailing foot (sometimes it is because he stepped on a sharp rock, sometimes it is a splinter)- whatever the reason it requires him to wear two different shoes- a flip flop (a slipper as they say here) on the injured foot and a boot on the other foot. Sam is constantly covered in dirt, mud, snot, ya know the stuff 5 year old boys are made of.

He’s got style, he’s got class…

Sam is one super cool guy.

Prayers for Franklin

2011-03-15T07:08:00.001-04:00

Remember our friend/driver Franklin? Yeah, the one who eats bats…

Well, take a moment to lift Frankie up to the Lord today. Yesterday he started having trouble walking and then lost the ability to speak- we feared the worst, but this morning found out that he was diagnosed with a bad case of malaria. Scary, but treatable. Cerebral malaria can be nasty, but thankfully there are drugs that can knock it out. Pray that this is all that it is.

Pray for him and his family as he recovers at home.

No Two Days are Alike But Every Day is the Same

2011-03-14T11:00:00.001-04:00

Welp, another week has come and gone in northern Liberia. It’s honestly been a blur. A blur of craziness- every day is different, but full of the same problems and hurdles. Liberia is not the place to come if you value doing things in a timely fashion or expect things to go as planned. You will not survive if that is the case. If you don’t believe that ask Kyle- a guy inquired about working here via email the other day and well, Kyle shot him straight- Liberia is not for anyone that can’t go with the flow.

We did have a public holiday on Wednesday- Decoration Day! That is the day that everyone goes and puts flowers on the graves of their loved ones. I actually think that is a day that we could use in America. A day to set aside to remember the one’s we love that have died. Someone want to start a petition for that? Cuz, petitions seem to work so effectively.

Last week I spent some time doing a little field work. By field work I mean playing with kids. I’ve been getting to know the kids that I am starting a Bible Club for and so far my favorite is this little guy named Martin. I don’t have a pictures of him yet because once you break out a camera in front of Liberian kids you have to be prepared to take everyone’s picture…multiple times. But let me offer up a description in lieu of a picture. Martin lives down at Hope for the Nations (rehab for malnourished kiddos) and he has a huge head. Not just huge because of malnourishment issues, but like huge because that is the way he looks- like a funny lookin’ kid (FLK, if you will). Martin, the FLK, has a head the size of an adult, but a body the size of a 3 year old. He’s been malnourished so who knows he might be 17 there is no real way to know for sure, but nonetheless he is one FLK. He is also a funny actin’ kid, the other day when I was having some of the kids help me with a small work project (yes, I do enlist child labor on a regular basis- it’s what missionaries do) and most of the kids are more than eager to help- obnoxiously eager at times- and in walks Martin. Martin, all 3 feet of him, struts around the place (without any pants on mind you) scoping out the work and doing what only can be described as “supervising”. Not once does he make a motion to help or act eager like the other children. Nope, Martin struts around the place, checks out the lay of the land, tips his proverbial hat to me and with a spring in his step exits the building.

I’m in love.

What a man.

Speaking of amazing men, Kyle is hanging on for dear life. Somewhere in the last 4 months he became the person that everyone calls for the answers to life’s most burning questions like, “Mr. Kyle, when are you coming to the office?”, “Mr. Kyle, where is my money for unloading the truck?”, “Mr. Kyle, Mobile 3 needs new bushings…so we need some money.” “Mr. Kyle, Mr. Kyle, Mr. Kyle, MR.KYLE!!!!!” I think God’s preparing him for children…yeah, I’ll stick with that answer.

So that leads us to this week. A week where the only certain thing is that life in Liberia is full of uncertainty…and weird smells…really, there is some weird smell in our house that I can’t find and it is driving me crazy. Arggggghhhhhhh….so pray for us, mmmmkkkkk?

Weekly Prayer Needs:

Pray we maintain sanity.

Pray for rest.

Pray for communion for us as husband and wife and with the Lord.

Pray for us as we minister to those around us who need to be touched by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Pray for vision and purpose as we plan for the next 7 months and beyond.

BBC News Africa

2011-03-11T05:01:00.002-05:00

Our friend Tas, a BBC reporter, wrote this story after going out to the field with some of the EQUIP staff. Please don’t be alarmed, neither Kyle or myself was with her!

Read the full story about the Scramble to Flee the Ivory Coast’s Unrest.

Pineapple Under the Sea

2011-03-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

You could actually have a roomy home inside of this thing. Kyle found it on his way to the border in one of the many villages that he passed through. He told one of his WATSAN guys, Sackie, that it was as big as he is…Sackie is a small man- but nonetheless.

The pineapple to the left is a “normal” size pineapple. The one to the right is the victim of some type of nuclear experiment. We paid $1.25 (90 Liberian dollars) for this beauty. Now we just have to find a chainsaw to cut it with!

Runnin’ On Empty

2011-03-07T06:00:00.000-05:00

In the last week we’ve felt like a pinball machine being shot all around Liberia. Ganta to Monrovia, Ganta to some of the border villages, back to Ganta from Monrovia, back from the border villages only to turn around and go back out. We’re exhausted. Kyle especially.

The situation in Ivory Coast continues to deteriorate and it doesn’t look like our work will be letting up any time soon. UNHCR is establishing a second camp and the rumor is that there could be up to 12 camps established. The total number of refugees in Nimba could be close to 200,000 by the end of the month! We’ve definitely seen the direct effects that it is having on the clinics that we support and the water points that EQUIP is responsible for. Our facilities are stressed and resources are scarce. Please pray for us as we respond to these needs.

EQUIP has been distributing jerry cans for safe water storage among the Liberian host population and the Ivorian refugee population.

Remember the bats? Yeah, this is Frankie, aka Batman. Totally non-refugee related, but still relevant to our life in Liberia- note the sport coat he is rocking on a Monday morning- our drivers are class-eeeee

On a non-refugee note, I (Jessica) had a great time last week taking two of our Liberian staff to Monrovia to do a presentation. Genni and Lawrina are our Reproductive Health Supervisors and they work with traditional midwives in the communities surrounding our 23 health centers and clinics. They are constantly working on strategies to improve the rate at which women give birth safely in the clinic. Their success has been impressive, so impressive that the big wigs with USAID wanted to hear about it! So me and our Medical Coordinator, Kristen took them down to Monrovia to present! They did an amazing job and received extremely high praise from a very tough audience! It was a really proud moment! I wish I had pictures, but in the rush to leave I left my camera here in Ganta- boo-hiss!

So that is a brief overview of the last week- minus the giant spiders and detailed accounts of bumpy car rides and sketchy nights sleeping in illegal gold operations- wait what am I talking about? I’ll safe that for another post…if you’re lucky.

Weekly Prayer Needs:

Pray for our sanity- really it’s quite stressful right now!

Pray for Christ to overflow our hearts and out weigh our stress.

Pray for the current Franklin Graham Festival that Samaritan’s Purse is putting on across the country this month. Pray that it would be a fruitful work that leads to dedicated disciples of Christ.

Pray for rest and refreshment for our bodies, hearts and mind.

Looking for a Mission’s Outreach Project?

2011-03-02T06:00:00.000-05:00

We’ve got one for you!

One of the greatest needs that we have seen here in Liberia- particularly the rural area that we live in- is the lack of access that the churches have to discipleship materials. There is no Lifeway Christian Store that pastors and church leaders can look to for access to books, curriculums, training materials. It’s hard to imagine that being the case in our American Churches. We have an over abundance of materials. Here in Liberia the materials either have to be made- which requires things like computers/printers/copiers which are expensive and subsequently require electricity (money and electricity- commodities in short supply here) or they have to be donated from outside of Liberia.

Kyle has been in touch with Desiring God- the resource ministry of Pastor/Author/Generally Awesome Guy John Piper- to arrange the shipment of a pastor’s library. My grandmother has taken it upon herself to do a collection at her church of used Sunday School materials. She’s had a really great response and the collection has spread from her Sunday School class to all of the Sunday Schools! The need is for Sunday School/discipleship/pastor’s training books and materials that are in good shape (no writing and intact) and tailored to all ages and education levels.

We spoke with the pastor that heads EQUIP’s Church Empowerment Program, Pastor John Troseh, and he was very excited and thankful for the possibility of much needed church resources making it here to Nimba County. These resources will provide foundational teaching to encourage churches all over Nimba to reject harmful (sometimes literally) traditional religious practices and cling to the truth of Scripture. What believer doesn’t want to be a part of that? What believer doesn’t want to be a part of providing life changing resources to brothers and sisters in Liberia? Resources that will encourage and strengthen the Body of Christ in Liberia ultimately encourage and strengthen the whole Body. So rummage through your shelves and find your old Sunday School quarterlies or the Teacher’s Guide from the children’s VBS you did 2 years ago and contact us to find out how you can get those materials into the hands of Liberian believers.

If you are interested in getting involved with this project please contact Kyle and I either through the comments here or via email for more information.

When Plans Change

2011-02-28T06:00:00.000-05:00

We’ve been here in Liberia four months. Four months in which nothing has gone as planned. Nope, our plans have been flipped upside down by a few thousand (try 50,000+) refugees milling around Liberia’s eastern border. This past week we began to hear about fighting on the other side. Everyone take a deep breath and be reassured that we are in no immediate danger. Kyle and I are a long way from the border, 5 hours away to be exact, and the fighting is in the Ivory Coast not here in Liberia.

The fighting has however sent a rush of refugees over the border into the areas surrounding our clinics. The last month or so felt like a stale mate as far as the refugee “crisis” was concerned. This feels as if a dam has broken that had been holding thousands of refugees back. One of our colleagues that went out to our Buutuo clinic, a hotspot for Ivorian refugees crossing over, reported thousands of refugees packed like sardines into a local school to sleep.

We’ve had such an unusual experience in the time that we have been here. Lots of curve balls have been thrown our way and it’s left us wondering what it is that God is trying to accomplish through our hands here. The needs are great. The work is plenty. Pray that the Gospel can be made known through our lives and through this situation. We are praying for peace in Ivory Coast and continued peace in Liberia.

Weekly Prayer Needs:

Pray for peace in Ivory Coast and for peace to reign in our own hearts.

Pray for rest for us.

Pray for safety wherever we may travel.

Pray for wisdom on the way forward in our ministry here.

The Difference Between Life and Death

2011-02-23T06:57:00.000-05:00

Death is a way of life in Liberia.

I’m not trying to be morose. I’m not trying to be a real downer on your Wednesday. It’s the truth. We were warned before we got here that death is a regular occurrence. I know, I know- what does that mean? Isn’t death a regular occurrence everywhere?

As a student of public health you spend a lot of time looking at statistics. International statistics about rates of birth, death, and disease. Afghanistan, Sudan (in all it’s incarnations), Haiti all rank at the tops of these lists and so does Liberia. It’s easy to leave these statistics in the theoretical while sitting behind a desk or flipping through t.v. channels. It’s not so easy when you befriend the people that these statistics directly affect.

We’ve been here for four months and have forged friendships with a lot of Liberians. In the those four months we have gotten word of countless numbers of deaths amongst our friend’s families. Just last week we heard of two deaths connected with our EQUIP Liberia family. One was our young mechanic, Sylvester’s, one week old daughter. The believed cause was malaria- particularly dangerous for children and especially infants.

Sylvester was back at work on Tuesday. Sitting on the EQUIP office’s front porch surrounded by 15 or so men sitting silent with him- silence is not normal in Liberia- ever. Tears glistening in his eyes he told us that he needed to come back to work. The pain is there. Liberians aren’t immune to grief, but they have gotten really good at moving on in the midst of it. They’ve had to. Between two civil wars, 25+ years of conflict and public health problems that continue to plague the country there hasn’t been time to take a breath.

So we’re left with the question when death can’t be ignored. What do we do to help? The answers aren’t easy. The hard questions never have easy answers. We emulate Jesus. We weep with our friends. We sit- like those 15 men with Sylvester- in silence and allow our compassion to be the loudest sound around. We pray that by God’s grace we can place hands on the wound of death slashed across this country and at least slow the bleeding. We have faith that the little work that our hands do might be found to the praise and honor of Christ and live with the hope that in life or in death we might glorify Him through this work.

Death is a way of life in Liberia but life, true life, is found in Jesus who conquered death. I’m looking for true life in the midst of real life in Liberia.

February Flying By…

2011-02-21T06:00:00.000-05:00

Welp, here comes another week. A week in which we promise to be better at blogging. O.k., we’ll really try- I retract my promise.

I (Jessica) wrapped up the Clinical Management of Rape training on Friday and there are now 17 clinicians trained to treat victims of sexual violence in Nimba County! Kyle’s WATSAN team has been working all over Nimba repairing water points and even doing much needed repairs to the roads. Last Friday refugees began to be moved to the camp. So yeah, we’ve been busy!

This week is the monthly staff meeting. We’ll share the highlights at the end of the week!

Weekly Prayer Needs:

Pray for our family as we miss them and they miss us!

Pray for our travels all around the county and back and forth to Monrovia

Pray for our relationships with those we work with that they would be fruitful for the Gospel.

Pray for us as we endure the heat of Liberia- without A/C or a fan.

Training Daze

2011-02-18T06:00:00.000-05:00

All week I (Jessica) have been back and forth between Ganta (our Liberian hometown) and Saclepea (about 1 1/2 hours away) organizing and assisting in the training of 17 Physician’s Assistants and RNs in the Clinical Management of Rape. Even in Liberia there are tons of details that go into having an effective training! It isn’t easy-o!

Philip from EQUIP Liberia’s Protection Team talking about legal and ethical issues of treating survivors.

The refugee influx along with Liberia’s instability and cultural taboos provides and open door for issues surrounding sexual gender based violence (SGBV). EQUIP’s Gender Based Violence Program is actually addressing these issues and working with Liberia’s justice system to find perpetrators and get convictions. Truly something that is unheard of in Africa.

Trainees work on case studies in groups.

Along with the justice component of SGBV there is the clinical management of gender based violence. Women (also, men and children) that have suffered these attacks should be seen in the clinic immediately. The training that EQUIP conducted gave clinicians the tools they need to counsel, examine, refer and collect forensic evidence for rape and abuse survivors.

Liberian’s always make time to relax! Even during a training!

The training has gone really well. The communities that the trainees have come from (many from clinics along the Ivorian border) commonly experience this type of violence and cases of abuse. These issues are not foreign to Liberians because unfortunately many were victims of such acts during the war and it is often a part of the culture rather than an anomaly. Cases are unfortunately drastically under-reported and most go untreated for physical and emotional problems that result from such abuse. The participants were eager to learn how to work with the survivors in their area to begin healing and hopefully assist the survivor towards justice.

A representative from USAID came to the training and was highly complimentary. She even suggested that the way that we did the training should be a framework for the whole country!

M.I.A. on a Monday

2011-02-15T11:29:00.000-05:00

Hey Folks and Faithful Readers,

Sorry about yesterday (and the majority of today!). We spent a few days relaxing in Monrovia before returning back to our home here in Nimba County. It was a nice break from Ganta and our constant work. We ate something other than rice and beans and enjoyed Dubai One, our new favorite Middle Eastern television station. All in all a really nice weekend- just too short!

We returned back to Ganta late Sunday. We put away all the goodies we got from the grocery store and readjusted our bodies to sleeping without air conditioning. Even a couple days of A/C spoiled us!

This week is a busy one as usual!

I (Jessica) am organizing and conducting a training on the Clinical Management of Rape. This training will allow many clinics across Nimba County to serve women (and men) who are the victims of rape or other sexual gender based violence across their communities. Kyle is continuing to direct his WATSAN team across Nimba. Our work (both health and WATSAN) now encompasses both our regular responsibilities as well as work with the Ivorian refugee population. Kyle and his team have much work to do in the next 3 months!

We will write more later to fill you in on the details of our work and the way that the Lord is working in our hearts and through our work. We confess that words fall short all too often.

Weekly Prayer Needs:

Pray for our sanity through long days, short nights and complicated work.

Pray for the Word to be alive in our hearts and in our lives.

Pray for our relationships with everyone we work with and alongside of here in Liberia.

P. S. There was a “devil” in Ganta yesterday. He was a Valentines devil apparently. Our friend Kristen had to pay him off so he would stop dancing next to the car. Happens. All. the. Time. Welcome to Liberia.

Guess How Many Lapas!

2011-02-09T04:51:00.001-05:00

Lapa (pronounced lap-UH) is the African name for the fabric that is used to make everything from curtains to dresses. Liberia has beautiful lapa with many colors and design. One of my favorite activities is to go to the market and peruse the surrounding lapa shops. Just like in U.S. fabric stores you can usually find the best ones in the remnant pile! We put a new lapa in each of the Mama Kits. Here is a stack of lapa that will soon be on their way to clinics across Nimba:

Guess how many lapa are in the stack! Ok, so it isn’t “Name that Fruit” but there will be a prize!

Short Week, Long Weekend!

2011-02-07T06:00:00.000-05:00

Last week we worked hard and enjoyed the likes of Grandpa. Glad to know he is a big hit even outside of Liberia! This week we are cutting it short in Ganta and on Thursday will be heading down south (not to the land of the pine unfortunately, pat on the back for the Old Crow Medicine Show reference) to Monrovia for a long holiday weekend. What holiday might you ask? Armed Forces Day…ironic in a country that has been disarmed, but we will ignore that small oversight and take a few days of a much needed break.

Just in case you needed to see Grandpa again…

Remember the story about the bats? The roasted ones on the side of the road by the pineapples? Well, turns out one of our drivers, Franklin (or Frankie to his friends) is a true Nimba-ite and picked a few up on his way back from the bush. Our friend/co-worker Kristen stood in shock and awe as Frankie proudly pulled his bats out of the glove compartment of his vehicle. I’m sad to say that I was not there and once again failed to get a shot of the bats. The next day when I saw Frankie I gave him a big “No sir!” about the bat-mongering. He was perplexed and clung to the fact that they are sweet and delicious. So we had to ask, “What’s the best part of the bat?” All Frankie said as a delighted grin crept over his face was “the entrails”.

Oh, golly goodness. We’re not in Kansas anymore.

Weekly Prayer Needs:

Pray for rest.

Pray for endurance and patience when days are long and frustrating

Pray for us as the weather heats back up. Our few days of cool nights and mornings are beginning to pass.

Pray for discipline to stay in the Word and be led by the Spirit in all we do.

Pray for Jessica as she plans a Bible Club for children in the EQUIP neighborhood.

Pray for Kyle as he hires new WATSAN workers to complete the work ahead.

Pray that our lives would be conduits of the Gospel to those that we work with.

Grandpa

2011-02-02T06:00:00.000-05:00

I never thought I’d come to Liberia and find a new Grandpa, but I have…meet Wilson Glee, a.k.a. Grandpa.

Grandpa wandered into the EQUIP office long before Kyle and I got here, but he had been gone for a long time. Evidently a few threats from EQUIP’s Liberian staff sent him on his way (where, we don’t know because no one seems to know where he comes from or where he goes when he leaves). Rumor had it that he was a bit of a clepto, but I believe that a man can be reformed so I don’t mind if he hangs around…as long as I can keep a careful eye on his sticky fingers…Like literally his fingers are sticky…gross…

He’s got some sweet dance moves, a voracious appetite and well, the name- He’s Grandpa. Here are a few shots of the fun we had with him in the office the other day. Unfortunately the perennially slow internet keeps me from uploading the carefully choreographed music video that Grandpa and I made.

Cheesin’ with Carl

Fuzzy self-portrait

Yes, that is what missionaries do in their spare time, make music videos with children named Grandpa. Stop me before this gets weird.

Officially Monday

2011-01-31T06:00:00.000-05:00

Officially at the 3 month mark.

Officially “some” rain has returned (not full on rainy season just the occasional rain to knock the dust off)

Officially seeing a little bit of a slow down from the crazy pace of a couple of weeks ago. A little bit of a slow down…

Officially almost through with Season 2 of House…We officially love Chinese bootleg DVDs.

Officially 30,000+ refugees in Nimba County according to UNHCR.

Last week was busy, but we ended the week with our monthly staff meeting. That is when almost all of the EQUIP Liberia staff come to Ganta for a 3 day meeting of the minds. We talk about the previous month and usually laugh a good bit. It’s a strange/funny/interesting/unpredictable time. It’s meeting in which someone’s chair being taken can result in a 2 hr. long side meeting about chair etiquette. If you ever doubted Liberian’s ability to argue and discuss completely banal things well, just come over for a staff meeting. All I can say is “WOW!” We eat Liberian food for lunch- rice and greens, pumpkin soup…It’s pretty good. It’s 3 days of surprise every time! I would have taken pictures, but my camera batteries died. Sorry-o

We’re going to go out into the field some this week- hopefully! We’ve had a lot of issues with our vehicles, meaning…

Too much work + Not enough vehicles = Difficulty in getting stuff done!

Although, word on the street is that there is a new truck in Monrovia! WAHOO!

I’m keeping the Monday update short this week…officially short…

God is officially good. Liberia is officially hot. We are officially blessed.

Weekly Prayer Needs:

Pray for our sanity.

Pray for continued good health.

Pray for our use of time and resources.

Pray for our marriage to grow and be a light to all around us.

Hero Worship

2011-01-29T06:00:00.000-05:00

In a world where 16 year old pop singers are glorified for their cool hair and slick dance moves and professional athletes can shoot up drugs, hit home runs and still land on the cover of major magazines as World’s Best fill in the blank we have to ask ourselves “Why them?”

Why do we glorify sin and exalt worldly fame?

Why do we pick these people out to lift up above the rest?

Don’t get me wrong. I can watch Entertainment Tonight with the best of em’ (guilty as charged- except not right now- Liberia’s lack of electricity and t.v. stations limit my ET watching) and I know that I am preaching to the choir as many of you that read this blog could care less about pop stars, athletes and reality t.v., but my point is who aren’t we lifting up? I could name hundreds (probably thousands) of movie stars, t.v. starts, pro-athletes, and journalists, but I’m scraping the barrel to name as many mothers and fathers of the faith! This is sad because I would like to think of myself as someone relatively well-read.

In our down-time here we don’t have a whole lot to do past sleeping, watching bootleg Chinese DVDs, and reading. Our friends, the Mabrys, (Thanks again Zach, Rocky and Parker) blessed us with a kindle before we left for Liberia and we have enjoyed the many books that we’ve been able to read. Hauling 25 pounds of books to the interior of Liberia was not an option and anyone who knows Kyle and I knows that we love books! We’ve had plenty to read here which as been a huge blessing and escape after hard days!

Lately I’ve poured over books about Christian homesteaders in the American West, pioneer missionaries to West Africa and Puritan women in Colonial America. Their wisdom, their faith, the reality of how God met them at every step, it’s inspiring. It’s a breath of fresh air in a world that glorifies acts of independence and self-aggrandizement rather than acts of obedient trust to God. These men and women were obedient, humble servants of a God they knew as faithful and mighty to save. Their lives didn’t point to themselves, but always to God and His work in this world.

A little different from this present world, eh? (I threw the “eh?” in for our Canadian readers)

Reading about the first missionaries to travel to the depths of West African jungles and Indian shores is well…rather thrilling! Depictions of their adventures were read like dime store novels by many faithful Christians during the 1800s. After David Livingstone’s death hundreds of Christians applied to work on foreign mission fields the world over. Their work on the field was full of brushes with danger, sometimes fatal disease and above all proclaiming the Word of God to the heathen! (Ok, I had to say that because ever book says it). They were essentially rock stars!

As I’ve spent time learning from the lives of these saints gone before I’ve realized that none of them want to be seen as heroes. Though their stories were thrilling fodder for many Christian’s hearts their hearts were set on a higher prize.

One that many of them would die on the field preaching and proclaiming.

I don’t think we can say as much for our modern day “heroes”. Everything about being a celebrity is about self. Everything about the lives of the saints I’m talking about was about pointing towards the real hero. The true champion. The only “person” worthy of praise…Jesus, the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Everyone in the world is guilty of some type of “hero worship”. We’re wired to worship. I believe that the saint’s gone before were worshipping the true “Hero”.

So here we are missionaries in a foreign land. Not heroes of the faith by any means just regular people who’ve chosen to follow Christ’s call. We aren’t quite the pioneers that David Livingstone or Mary Slessor of Calabar (google them!) were here in the heart of Africa. No one reads this blog for the thrill of it all. (Although it is interesting to think what those pioneers might have wrote if they had internet access!) All we really know is that like those that have gone before us, those that have paved roads of faith into the deepest jungle, we want to be pointing towards the Hero. Our Champion. Our Lord and Savior. That is pioneering. That is daring in this present world. It isn’t cannibals and heathen savages. It’s God’s love made manifest in our own lives for our good and His glory.

You don’t have to be a missionary on the foreign field to practice this kind of “Hero Worship”. You just have to readjust your heart to worship the only hero worth our praise and worship.

FYI: His name doesn’t start with “Justin” and end with “Bieber”

Community Case Management Program Goes Beyond Helping the Under Five population

2011-01-26T07:02:00.001-05:00

Below is a recent story from EQUIP Liberia’s blog. Thousands of Community Health Volunteers are tackling their communities’ health problems each day all over Nimba county!

Esther Yeaney is a newly trained general Community Health Volunteer. Selected not only because she is one of the few women in her community that has achieved a grade 6 education, but also because of her compassion and concern for the health of her community. Her first training was on diarrhea and dehydration Community Case Management (CCM) sponsored by USAID/Rebuilding Health Services in Liberia (RBHS) in partnership with Equip Liberia, back in May 2010.

In September, Esther received further training in Community Case Management of malaria and Acute Respiratory Infections. Esther is well respected in her community of Zahn Boie. “I can be called at any time, “she says, “Sometimes late in the night, but that is what I was trained for.

“I can be called at any time,” she says,

“Sometimes late in the night, but that is what I was trained for.”

As the supervisory team looks through Esther’s detailed patient ledger, we see that that she is thorough and accurate. Esther saw 39 cases of suspected malaria (32 cases which proved to be positive through Rapid Diagnostic Test - RDT) and 8 cases of diarrhea within a 3 week period.Esther not only advocates on behalf of the under 5 population in her community but she has been encouraging pregnant women to go to the clinic for antenatal care, IPT and safe delivery.

When a gCHV diarrhea refresher training was happening in Bunadin, she escorted Ma Alice, who was in early labor, to the Bunadin Clinic. Ma Alice delivered a healthy baby boy at the clinic, but when complications developed post delivery, our Equip vehicle was ready to conduct her quickly to the Methodist Hospital for emergency obstetrical care. Esther Yeaney, encouraged her and supported her through the process. Without Esther’s advocacy, another maternal tragedy may have occurred in Nimba County.

Story submitted by Audry Waines, EQUIP Liberia

Three Months In

2011-01-24T06:00:00.000-05:00

This week hails the three month mark for us. As of the end of this coming week we will have officially been in country for 3 whole months. We feel like we hardly have time to catch our breath these days and we’re amazed at how quickly three months has passed.

Last week flew by and then we had the weekend to recuperate. The refugee crisis continues, but we feel as if maybe things are shaking out a bit as far our EQUIP Liberia’s role in the situation. At least this is what we hope. Kyle made a trip out to the site that will eventually be the refugee camp. He is sighting potential well sites using some fancy equipment on loan from another NGO. That provided a good break for Kyle from meetings and desk work!

I’ve (Jessica) been hard at work distributing “Mama Kits”. I can’t remember if I’ve mentioned this project before, but it is a project that I am responsible for here. We provide a kit, with essential post-partum and baby items, at each of our clinics that encourage rural women to come in and have their babies in their local medical facilities with trained midwives. This past week I continued to pack and send out kits to our clinics in order to increase the rates of women giving birth in our facilities. I don’t pack these bags on my own, oh no! I recruit help!

My friends (from left to right) Vivien, Martilene, and little Amy helped me pack roughly 100 kits. The kits are on the floor behind them in the picture!

Weird Alert:

Sorry to interrupt the regularly scheduled Monday update, but something important and of global significance has come up. On the road back from Saclepea the other day we stopped at a village market along the roadside. Continuously in the hunt for good fruit and butter pear (avocado, remember from the “Name that Fruit”?) we felt this was a good idea. We hop out of the car and begin to peruse the stacks of fresh pineapple. When what to our wondering eyes should appear? Stacks of dried, dead bats! Yes, bats, not the wooden thing you hit a baseball with, the creepy bird/rat animal. They eat them some places in the bush. FREAKY! I didn’t get a picture because unfortunately my camera was in the bottom of my backpack and my backpack was behind a seat…sorry to be anticlimactic and void of a photo. FREAKY nonetheless!

We now return you to your regularly scheduled blog…already in progress…

As we enter in to the fourth month of being here we are trusting that God is going to continue to stretch us. Kyle is ready to begin digging more wells before dry season ends! His WATSAN team has done impressive work in the past two months and they have much work ahead of them, but God has blessed EQUIP Liberia with the funding to continue to expand water and sanitation projects across all of the communities we work in. Pray for Kyle as he trains his team to go into these communities and provide the gift of water.

Over the next month I will be planning trainings on managing victims of sexual violence in the clinic setting and reproductive health. These are week long trainings for certified midwives and the heads of our clinics. Pray that all will go smoothly and that the Lord will provide opportunity in these trainings for hope and healing for many.

We have 9 months stretching our before us, but we know that isn’t that long in reality. It will fly by in a blink and before we know it we will be hopping a plane back across the Atlantic, shaking our heads at the year behind us. Pray that we will live right here in the moment. This moment of all that God has given us here in Liberia.

Weekly Prayer Needs:

Pray for our health and energy! We’ve been really blessed with good health thus far, but long days equal exhaustion!

Pray for Kyle as he is pulled in 100 different directions.

Pray for us as we work to find time for one another during super busy weeks.

Pray for us as we work to enter fully into the ministry opportunities we have before us.

charity:water partners with EQUIP Liberia

2011-01-19T05:23:00.001-05:00

EQUIP Liberia is partnering with charity:water to expand Water and Sanitation all over Nimba county! We were pleased to see EQUIP Liberia’s work featured on charity:water’s blog! Kyle is super excited about another year of funding from charity:water. charity: water’s support allows EQUIP to train WATSAN technicians as well as provide community based sanitation efforts.

Read about charity:water’s visit to Liberia on their blog! Link below!

charity:water blogs about EQUIP Liberia’s WATSAN projects!

Special Reminder: It’s Monday

2011-01-17T06:00:00.000-05:00

In case you had forgotten. Yes, that drowsy feeling and the lack of energy or desire to work signifies that it is indeed a Monday. Yes, having a “Case of the Mondays” is a worldwide epidemic.

On to other business. We are all moved out of our 1st Ganta home and into our 2nd, more spacious, less outfitted, but still livable Ganta home.

As promised here are some pictures:

Our daybed lounging area. Complete with mosquito net.

Make shift kitchen. Unfortunately this place doesn’t have a built in kitchen. We’re making do. So far we’ve had black beans (a Hoover staple), Burger night (with the last of the ground beef from Monrovia), and the infamous flat bread pizzas.

Our kitchen table/multi-purpose workspace. Note the lappa with hens and baby chicks.

Bathroom, we are proud to say that the toilet seats in this place are actually attached to the toilet. Major improvement!

We hung a little art. Our friend Jerry is running for office in his district. He’s already the unofficial mayor so I think this is a step in the right direction for him. He will be what Barack Obama never could be, except in Liberia. In case you can’t read the sign says,

“G. Jerry S. Tompoe,

The Vision for the People,

The Leader for the People’s Heart!”

We know Jerry. We are inclined to say this is true. By the way one of Jerry’s twin daughters is my name sake. Yes, he informed me of this last time I saw him.

Sorry about the lack of pictures of the bedroom. The space is great, but I couldn’t get in shots to do it justice, but believe me it is more than adequate.

What about last week? Did we do anything other than move?

Our colleagues got back which was a relief and a welcome change. Patti’s bags finally made it which meant a small package from home! Thanks Mom for sending along a card, skirts, a movie and lots uh love.

Refugees are still here. They probably aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Please continue to pray for us as we work to provide assistance to Ivorians and Liberian’s in need. I plan to do an update on the work and situation very soon, like later this week, so watch for it.

I wish I could show you how hard Kyle’s team of men are working to respond to the refugees as well as all of the normal work they would be doing. His WATSAN guys are some of the hardest workers we’ve met here in Liberia. Kyle really desires to build their knowledge and capacity to care for the needs of their own people.

We’ve also been “working” with some of the young leprosy/TB fellas. We are praying about how to provide financial planning training/discipleship/practical skills with them. It isn’t easy because there are a lot of negative cultural beliefs and practices that permeate the way these guys behave and respond to the “white man”. Pray that we would be firm and sensitive to the needs of these young men.

We have a new doctor, a Mr. Chris Carpenter, coming to work with EQUIP. He arrived in Monrovia Sunday evening. He’s making his Ganta debut sometime in the next couple of weeks! His sole role will be to address refugee health needs. WAHOO! We are so happy to have him coming. Read his blog, Backpacks and Stethoscopes, to find out more about what he will be up against in the coming weeks!

The week stretches out before us and if we’ve learned anything we have learned that Liberia is full of surprises. Almost three months in we know that for sure!

Weekly Prayer Needs:

Pray for us as we work long days and have short nights!

Pray for us as we actively try to disciple and teach God’s Word through our words and actions to those around us.

Pray for our attitudes to be guided by the Holy Spirit.

Pray that our marriage would be growing and healthy despite exhaustion and little time for one another.

Pray that we would be steadfast in our personal walk with Christ.

Movin’ Out! (Another Billy Joel Reference)

2011-01-14T06:00:00.000-05:00

We’ve moved. Yes, one whole door down. Still in the same compound. Still with the same neighbors…still under the provision of Sister Augusta and the other miscellaneous, sweet as they can be nuns…just one door down from the old place. They tell us “Auntie Betty is coming” (said in my best Italian nun voice) and we’ve been livin’ in Auntie Betty’s place.

I would share our change of address, but as we’ve already discussed mail doesn’t come here. I’ll post pictures later, but I have to say after all my whining and belly aching about having to move I think we will like this place better than our old in the long term. It’s spacious, has two bathrooms, and extra beds that we’ve made into our lounging area. Fancy pants!

Last night we spent our first night in the new digs. We had black beans and rocked out to the Black Crowes. All in all a good homecoming.

Pictures to come!

Welcome Back!

2011-01-12T06:00:00.000-05:00

Our Liberian friends love to welcome people! This sign was made by the Health Staff in the office for my friend Kristen’s return!

In case you can’t read it:

“Welcome, What a blessed day to see a sister, a mother and a friend back after a long break. Sister Kristen, Medical Department says you are whole heartedly welcome, your Town Town, Bonlay, Bunadin, etc. await you. Happy New Year!"

I want to go away and come back just so we can have signs like this one made for us!

How Many Ways Can You Say “Monday Update”

2011-01-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

Last week was the first “official” week back in the EQUIP office after the holidays. We’ve spent many “unofficial” days at the office and working all over Nimba county throughout the holidays. Needless to say last week was a busy one!

Kyle is very popular around the office. I’ll leave it at that. You can just call him “Mr. Moneybags”. We had expected our colleagues from the States to be back this week, but unfortunately a luggage problem kept them detained in Monrovia. So we’ve continued to hold down the fort here in Ganta.

The fort is hurtin’…we need them to get back!

Our friends Steve and Sandy are here from Atlanta, Georgia. They do ongoing ministry in Saclepea through their ministry, West Africa Crossroads. EQUIP runs a Health Center in Saclepea so we are familiar with the area. Please pray for them as they spend the month of January ministering and working Saclepea.

In the past week Kyle and I have started considering some new and different ministry opportunities. We’ve told you about the TB/Leprosy Rehab hospital/community that our compound is adjacent too. We have had the opportunity to get to know many of the young men that have received treatment or who have come with family members that are receiving treatment to live in the community. Many of them are struggling to pay their school fees and financially provide for their families (many of them live with parents or grandparents that are disabled). The people in the Rehab community, including these young men, have used their skills as artists and wood workers to make items to sell. Carvings, baskets, earrings, they are really talented guys. The only problem is that they would like to sell their things, but don’t have much of a market here in Ganta and let’s be honest Kyle and I can only buy so many baskets. Also, many of them have come asking us for school fees, business start-up money, etc. We don’t just want to give them a hand out. We passionately believe in breaking that cycle here in Liberia and empowering the people, particularly young men, to make wise decisions about money and plans for the future. We are prayerfully considering how to help train them to manage their finances wisely and according to God’s Word and get their products into the hands of interested buyers. We’ll definitely be writing more about this project here on the blog as God opens doors.

Here’s some of the goods that we’ve snagged from our Rehab friends:

Baskets, super practical and really well made!

Carvings- (left) a traditional Liberian guitar (right) what they call the “Hand of Authority” or a hand holding an egg. I’ll let Kyle explain that some other time.

Up close of one of the baskets.

I’ll post more pictures of their crafts along the way.

In other news…

There is no end in sight to the refugee situation. Each day new reports come out of the Ivory Coast, but none of the reports sound like they are heading towards a resolution. Continue to pray for us as we work day and night to meet the needs of those affected along Liberia’s eastern border.

We will finally make our move to the rooms next door to live. We aren’t exactly excited about this, but we are making it work! We will share pictures once we get moved.

Weekly Prayer Needs:

Pray for rest in the midst of extreme busyness!

Pray for the unfolding of ministry opportunities among the Rehab community.

Pray for us as we travel this week. We are trying improve the infrastructure of our clinics which means going 5-6 hours away from Ganta to reach them all.

Pray for our co-workers as they return from vacation. Pray that we can be salt and light as we work alongside them.

Pray for our relationship with those we live with here at the Rehab compound. If you’ve ever lived in an apartment complex you know that their can be conflict…this is kind of similar…kind of…

Pray for our friends Steve and Sandy as they minister in Saclepea for the month of January!

Liberian English

2011-01-06T16:12:00.001-05:00

Hey Ya’ll

I’m opening with a little Southern English for ya because we’ve got a confession to make. We sound like the biggest weirdos and we can’t make it stop. Most of you have gathered by now that among the cultural adjustments we’ve had to make one thing we have not had to do is learn a new language…well…sort of…

You see we were told over and over again before coming here that Liberians speak English, save some random tribal languages and and the occasional visitor (ok, we didn’t count on refugees) from the Ivory Coast or Guinea that speak French. The truth is , yes, Liberian’s speak English. The slight lie behind that is that they run all their words together and add “Oh” to the end of EVERYTHING. Everyone said, “Give it six weeks and you’ll understand Liberian English!” We gave it six weeks and we can now say that not only do we understand Liberian English we have had almost mastered the art of speaking it and we sound ridiculous.

Kyle can’t turn it off.

I can turn it off…sometimes…

So head’s up on when we return home. We sound ridiculous, but the truth is…you’ll love it!

Sorry-o

No Christmas Cards in Liberia...Except!

2011-01-05T11:00:00.000-05:00

It was difficult being away from home for the holidays. Especially when you get "cards" from family like this one. A little explanation is needed- Kyle's mom calls us her "Roaming Gnomes" hence the gnome statue, the flag I hope you will recognize as Liberia's and finally all the names are from the Hoover side of the family. Needless to say this put a big smile on our face!

First Post of the Year!

2011-01-03T11:00:00.000-05:00

2011 is here...for a whole year.

We welcomed the New Year in by calling family and friends to taunt them about living in the past. After all there aren't that many perks when you live in Liberia. Hitting the New Year 5 hours before our friends and family qualifies as one in this perk-less place.

Kyle was pretty well worn out by New Year's Eve so we laid low (as if there was anything else to do) and have spent more time around our little house than we did in the whole previous two months combined! We learned that indeed we will have to move into the space next door in the coming weeks...bummer...but all in God's plan and good timing. It will be an adjustment as the next door space is not equipped with a real kitchen, but we will make do.

Today everyone returns to work at EQUIP Liberia. Our colleagues that went home for the holiday should be making their way back to Liberian shores and boy are we glad! There is a lot of work ahead between refugees and regular EQUIP work, but that is what we came here to do so we are happy to be back to a regular schedule.

I'm gonna leave it at that for this week...I've got the whole year to ramble on about our Liberian adventures. Next week, once my new computer is here, I think I might just catch everyone up via pictures. I'm still yet to post holiday pictures...sorry...I'm a bad person. Pray for me...

No, really pray for me/us...

Weekly Prayer Needs:

Pray for the work ahead! Between refugees and regular work we are going to be scrambling!

Pray for peace in Ivory Coast- The situation continues to deteriorate.

Pray for our safety and protection as we travel.

Pray that our health would be protected. Liberia is not super conducive to good health.

Pray that ministry opportunities would continue to grow and be revealed to us in our daily work. Pray that we would be bold to take advantage of those opportunities.

Pray for our relationships with those we work with and live with. (we share a compound with six other people.)

Pray for us as we move into our new little "home".

Blog-tage

2010-12-31T10:20:00.002-05:00

Liberia will hit the new year 5 hours before the U.S.

For a brief time we will be in two different years...spooky...

I always enjoy these last few days of the year...year in review shows, photo montages, tearful in memoriams. If our internet went at more than a snails pace I would consider doing something to that same affect here on the blog. Blog-tage if you will, but due to my limited technical capabilities (aka: uploading speed that rivals a tree sloth) the blog-tage will have to be through words. I don't have the patience to try for more than that at this point. I could explain why my patience is waning at the moment but...well that's another day...another blog post.

What a year it has been! WOWZERS! 2010 will forever be remembered as a big year for the Hoovers. One that we know has built our faith and stretched us far beyond our comfort zone. We stumbled through the first half of the year trying to raise support and figure out when we could make the voyage to Liberia. The middle part of the year we quit our jobs, packed our bags and headed for Canada. The final portion of the year has been spent settling (if that is even possible) into our live here in remote Northern Liberia and figuring out just what we are doing here.

Detail after detail has been taken care of in ways that we can only describe as blessings from God. Family and friends have been incredibly supportive and sent us off with tears of joy and sadness. These images have been burned into our hearts as we gaze back over the past year.

We're blessed. 2010 proves it.

So now what?

Bring on 2011 with all its unexpected unexpectedness...because if we've learned one thing this year it's never to underestimate what God will call you to and how He will mold you and shape you in the midst of it.

HAPPY NEW YEAR READERS!!!!!!!
(aka: Mom, Grandma, miscellaneous friends and family, and the occasional misguided googler)

Ok, a little bit less than what you would expect from something called a blog-tage. Sorry, how bout' you lobby the Liberian government to do something about the internet speed? Let me know how that goes.

A Simple Equation

2010-12-29T16:31:00.005-05:00

Sorry for the lack of posts the last couple of days...Here is a simple equation to explain the situation.

Jessica's lack of computer = lack of blog posts

No worries, I should have a new computer within the next week. I hope for Kyle's sake that I do. Next week I will post lots of pictures from the holiday and special New Years' greetings from Liberia.

I know you can hardly wait. I know I can't(insert sarcasm here)
For realz, not having a computer makes me realize what a blessing it is to be able to connect with family, friends and complete strangers all over the world through this little blog!

In the meantime check this nifty link out and pray over what this means for God's work here in Liberia!

Amani Comes Full Circle

More on this to come later! I'm super excited about this...(not even a hint of sarcasm)

The Holiday in Liberia!

2010-12-27T06:00:00.001-05:00

Sitting here in Monrovia reading everyone's facebook posts about the snow in North Carolina makes it almost possible to imagine snow outside my own door. White Christmas...sigh...

We enjoyed talking/emailing/chatting/facebook posting with many of you over the last few days. It has made all of our friends and family seem not so far away. We celebrated the holiday with a few new friends here in Monrovia and I'd love to show you some pics. but alas my (Jessica) computer decided to die a violent death on Christmas Eve. I'll upload some pictures soon! Bear with me over the next couple of weeks while I await a new computer. I had just gotten a system of blogging/emailing worked out and it was all going so smoothly...a little too smoothly I suppose...arghhhhh...All that to say that Kyle and I are sharing a computer currently...double arghhhhh

Anyways...

Our holiday was uneventful which in Liberia is a wonderful thing! We were really hoping for some uneventfulness! We have been able to spend some time resting and relaxing before jumping back into addressing the refugee crisis and all the other work that we are responsible for.

What did Santa bring us for our Liberian Christmas?Kyle gave me a new bottle/can opener for Christmas and I gave him a set of three long stem lighters...Romantic gifts, eh?

We had to do our shopping at the grocery. Don't ask.

I hosted my first Christmas dinner...ever...How ironic is that? It was a feast by Liberian and American standards complete with roast chicken, salad (a miracle in Liberia), stuffing (a new recipe that I will definitely be keeping in the repertoire), roasted vegetables, chocolate cake, lambingtons (cake dipped in chocolate courtesy of our Australian friends!), and various other sundry items. Our new friends helped out to make this feast truly delicious and special! Thanks to Nich, Finley, Justin and Ailsa! 3 out of our 6 guests were from Australia and Great Britain and had never had the joy of watching Christmas Vacation...you know...Chevy Chase...the whole bit...a Hoover family tradition. Luckily our friend Justin had it on his iPhone and we were able to watch it on a real t.v.! So we introduced our new friends to a true American classic after dinner!

As I expressed in previous posts this year has been a year to truly reflect on the precious meaning of Christmas. I always spend time meditating on the season, but this year I experienced the season in a way that I won't soon forget. I hope that even though most of you are not far from home this season, and certainly not in Liberia, that you experienced Christmas in a new and fresh way. I ("we" rather because I know Kyle would wish you the same!) pray you have been overwhelmed by God's grace, love and provision through His Son, Jesus.

It gives us strength to go on...courage to be obedient...so on we go to the next week!

This coming week will officially mark two months in Liberia for us! Can you believe it? We will head back upcountry to Ganta on Tuesday. Kyle will be directing his WATSAN team all over Nimba county to respond to water and sanitation needs in the communities directly affected by the refugee situation. Please continue your prayers for Kyle as he has a lot on his shoulders until some of our co-workers come back from holiday to provide some relief.

Weekly Prayer Needs:

Pray for the Ivory Coast. The situation is not improving and there will likely be more refugees in the coming weeks.

Pray for opportunity to minister the Gospel in word and deed.

Pray for the Church in Liberia to be encouraged and grow despite many tribal/cultural barriers and divisions.

Pray that we will be encouraged by other believers working in Liberia.

Pray that we would continue to develop strong relationships with the EQUIP's Liberian staff.

Read the most recent letter from the Waines family for more details about EQUIP Liberia's work and their families commitment to Liberia!

Peace on Earth, Goodwill Toward Men

2010-12-24T06:00:00.000-05:00

Why do we need missionaries?

Because the only peace came to earth 2,000 years ago.

The only hope of goodwill for men is found in the God-man, Jesus

It’s not found in a mosque. It’s not found in the barrel of a gun. It’s not found in activism. It’s not found in redeeming our past. It’s not found in the latest, greatest, self help craze. It’s not found in round table “peace” talks. It’s not controlled by the U.N.

It’s found in Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of Man.

This world is not peaceful. Peace came to earth 2,000 years ago so that a fallen world could find hope.

May you find peace in Christ and goodwill for all as you share the Gospel of Christ this Christmas season.

Merry Christmas from the Hoovers in Liberia!

How many pictures does it take the Hoovers to get a normal face out of Kyle? There aren’t memory chips big enough…so hear are a few of the pictures we took…backlighting + poor photography skills = glare (It’s my present to you!)

Merry Christmas from Kyle’s happy face.

Merry Christmas from Kyle’s woodchuck face.

Merry Christmas from Kyle’s surprised face!

Merry Christmas from Kyle’s serious face.

Beaches and Liberian Sunsets

2010-12-22T06:00:00.000-05:00

Kyle likes to say that Liberia is the place where everything washes up on shore. If you ever visit Monrovia you will be able to attest to this fact. The city would never be considered beautiful, but the beaches…well, the beaches have potential…that is if you know where to go!

Sunday evening we went out for a new friend’s birthday. We ate at a tiny Liberian place with a great view of the ocean and sunset. Nothing like pepper chicken and Liberian sunsets!

Monrovian Monday Update

2010-12-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

Live from Monrovia this blessed Christmas week! Yes, country has come to town! We are living it up Monrovia style in what we like to refer to as “a proper house”. We were really blessed to be offered the opportunity to stay at the head doctor for USAID’s house over the Christmas break. It is one of the nicest houses in Monrovia. What does that mean? Air conditioning and minimal bugs/snakes inside of the house. It’s awesome.

We’ve come to the conclusion that every week of this adventure is different. It defies description most of the time and leaves us reeling and in need of a good long sleep. Last week was no different. How bout’ I bullet the week for ya? Yeah, lets make this easy…Imagine Billy Joel singing that crazy part from “We Didn’t Start The Fire”

Monday morning rooster crows
Ride to work pothole dodging
WATSAN has a lot to do
Joe Suomie training still
Olive’s malaria makes her very ill
Kristen and Patty off to the states
Refugees flooding through our gates
Monrovia
Dr. Rick’s house
No food in our house
Cars going everywhere
Oil filters upside down
Kyle’s in charge
Justin is back
Dave is himself
Cheeseburger cardiac attack
Santa is a secret Christmas parties
Kyle’s still in charge

I could go on, but for all our sakes I won’t. Unless you beg…you are begging small…here’s a few more

Traffic for no reason
It’s the Christmas season
Dogs behind a Chinese restaurant
Kyle’s in charge of the refugees- all of them

Ok, so for those of you that didn’t get the Billy Joel reference…look it up…I think if this version had a chorus it would go like this:

“We didn’t start the crisis. There were always refugees since West Africa…started…” or something like that.

I’m losing it…Can you tell? This is what Liberia does to you…

I wish I had pictorials for each of those points. My camera died when I tried to take a picture of the pack of dogs behind the Chinese restaurant.

In other news:

We are in Monrovia for a few days. We are house sitting for a doctor and his wife over the holiday. The only downside is that we have to continue with activities in Nimba and addressing the refugee crisis which is growing in the wake of continued violence in Cote D’Ivoire’s capital Abidjan. We will be going up to Ganta and coming back again before Christmas!

We hope to talk to many of you over the holiday. We would love to try out some skyping while we are here if anyone is up for it. We just might have a strong enough signal to make it happen! Email us if you want to give it a try!

For those of that we won’t talk to over the holidays know that we love and miss you. For those of you that have never even met us but read this blog- Thanks…we’re humbled, we’re blessed, we’re blown away that you choose to spend a tiny portion of your time following this crazy journey. Read and be blessed. Ponder God’s grace through these posts. Because let’s be honest- It’s all grace. It’s exhausting- but it’s all grace.

Weekly Prayer Needs:

-Pray for rest and relaxation over the holiday in the midst of craziness.

-Pray for peace to reign in Ivory Coast

-Pray for our ministry of the Gospel to everyone we come in contact with

-Pray for Kyle and I to be drawn closer to one another and to the throne of Grace.

-Pray that we would be protected from the evil one. That peace would reign in our hearts.

What We Signed Up For

2010-12-17T06:00:00.001-05:00

We didn’t sign up for this. I’ve said it once…I’ve said it twice…I’m even shamefully guilty of saying it three times.

We didn’t sign up for this.

West Africa’s not the most stable place in the world. It just takes one misfire election and people start lining up to cross over the borders into seemingly safer land. In West Africa borders are little more than streams, and dense forests. Fear rises in a neighboring country and suddenly already resource strapped communities see 1, 2, 30, 40, 120, 220, 320, 500, 1,000…more people added to their populations.

People who have left all; clothes, food, jobs, homes to come to a foreign land because the other option promises an uncertain future.

“You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.” Exodus 22:21

We didn’t sign up for this…but wait…maybe we did.

The truth is when you throw your hands up to the sky and tell God, “Here am I send me” you don’t really know what you’re doing.

You don’t really know what you are signing up for.

He told us to “Go” but He never said what we’d find when we got there.

We look around and we realize that we've found refugees.

Then it dawns on us “We signed up for this.” Yes, actually somewhere between "Here am I Lord" and "Send me" we signed up for this.

So they’re here (more and more everyday) and so are we and they are strangers and foreigners and so are we…in so many ways... and we have to learn how to serve “the least of these” because it doesn’t always come naturally. Sometimes we balk in our hearts and more often with our mouths at the ministry God gives us even when it is running over the border towards us by the thousands.

Pray for us as we serve those that enter our lives from across borders and from across town. Pray for us this Christmas season as we imagine Joseph, Mary and Jesus searching for safety as refugees in a foreign land. Pray for us as we search out what it is exactly that we did sign up for.

May it always be for the sake of the Gospel that we give our holidays, hearts and lives.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-12-15T06:00:00.000-05:00

Ok, who am I kidding? I have to use words. They’re my crack.

No “Name that Fruit” (echo,echo,echo) this week. No worries, the competition will continue in the coming weeks. Congrats to the winners! Particularly to Kyle’s cousin Paige who did the work and found the Liberian name for last weeks contest. For those of you that didn’t hear the news! Avocado in Liberia is better known as “butter pear”

This weeks picture:

We’ve missed all of our friends and families’ faces so we thought that you might be missing ours.

A couple of pictures to let you all know that we are alive and well…although Kyle’s face in the second one may lead you to believe otherwise. Notice the nice glow that our faces have? Yeah, that’s sweat.

A Week at a Time

2010-12-13T06:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to another week in Liberia!

Last week really kept us on our toes. On Monday we went deep into the far reaches of Tappita (pronounce tap-PEE-tah, a region within our county) to a village called Gblarlay (pronounced BLAH-lay) to take a look at the situation with the refugees from the Ivory Coast. It was a daunting journey over the roughest roads imaginable, but we made it there and back in one piece but not until after we had endured 10 hours of driving (round trip that is!), a nights sleep on the floor of an EQUIP clinic and a motorbike ride to one of the small villages where the refugees are crossing the border

Somehow even though we were in one of the most remote regions in Liberia we managed to find a man wearing this t-shirt:

Some of you may not understand the significance of the shirt, but for those of you that do I’ll give you a moment to pick your jaw up off the ground. Veronica, we will send this photo in an email with the GPS coordinates attached.

The refugee situation is continuing to grow, but appears to be somewhat stabilizing. Only time will tell at this point. There has not been any type of resolution to the situation in the Ivory Coast. If you are asking yourself, “What are they talking about?” just hop on the BBCs website and cruise for stories on the the Ivory Coast. EQUIP is involved with other organizations that are engaged in meeting the needs of the communities affected by this influx of refugees. Pray for us as we continue to respond to the needs of our communities here in Nimba.

I (Jessica) have found it rather interesting during this Christmas season that we are involved with working with refugees..

I feel a blog post coming on…look for it later in the week.

In other non-refugee related news: Some of you have asked for an update on the child that was brought to EQUIP and abandoned. One of the Liberian staff took the boy home for a couple of weeks, but due to certain circumstances was not able to keep the child. He is now in the care of an orphanage. Continue to keep this child in your prayers. He is still in need of advanced medical care.

This week we are trying to wrap up a lot of projects before some of our ex-pat friends leave for holidays home in America and our Liberian friends take a break for the Christmas season. We have our monthly staff meeting and a Christmas Party that promises to be a good time. We will have a couple of weeks “off” after this week. Pray for us as we make decisions about what we will be doing for the holidays. Even though we have only been in Liberia for 1 1/2 months we are looking forward to a time of rest!

Weekly Prayer Needs:

Pray that we will be diligent in building relationships with our Liberian friends and taking advantage of opportunities to share the Gospel.

Pray for us as we work to open doors for local pastors to receive training.

Pray for us as we consider how to spend our holiday. Don’t forget our family during this season that we are away.

Pray for our response to the refugee situation.

It’s Not Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

2010-12-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

It’s Christmas…All over the world…

Except in my world Christmas usually comes barreling through with lights, holiday music, political correctness about how to greet someone during the month of December, undisguised materialism, and awkward office parties. This year our house is decidedly bare of Christmas decor. No tree, no lights, and only the occasional iTunes Christmas music selection. We’re waiting on a cold snap in the weather that will bring the temperature down to a balmy 85 degrees. It doesn’t feel much like Christmas.

Which begs the question what does Christmas really mean to us? Does it mean tradition? Does it mean decorations? Does it mean family? Those are all nice and good and decent things…but if that is what Christmas means to you or I then we’ve missed it. We’ve missed Christ. We’ve missed the baby that stands front and center of our heirloom nativity on the mantle. We’ve missed it.

Jesus Christ, God-child. Son of God and Son of Man. Born to die and overcome death, hell, the grave and our sin. What wondrous love is this?

Here, in this lack, where the scent of pine is non-existent and snow is something never experienced by a Liberian and only seen in pictures from back home I hope to reclaim Christmas. This year I will ponder in silence and without fanfare the arrival in human skin of our blessed Lord. Donkey ride, dusty roads, Mary- the girl who birthed God, Jesus the child who fulfilled the words of the law and the prophets, shepherds in fields abiding, a great light to signal the greatest of Lights in human form come to dwell for the sake of you and I. Born for us who were dead in sin.

Next year I will pull around me every good and blessed tradition and cook a feast for friends and family to remind us of all the good and sacred gifts that come down from the Father of Lights in whom there is no shadow or turning away. I will line my mantle with my stored away heirloom nativity, but it will mean something very different. I can sense it. I can feel it here in the midst of nowhere Liberia.

Christmas has come and I will ever more be changed.

In abundance or deficiency my song will ever ring the same.

“Glory be to God on high and to the earth be peace, goodwill henceforth from God to man begin and never cease” ~ Andrew Peterson.

Name That Fruit!

2010-12-08T06:00:00.000-05:00

Another round of NAME THAT FRUIT! (echo,echo,echo) In this round I want you to guess what we (non-Liberians) would call this and then I will give a bonus to anyone that can track down the Liberian name for it.

Clue 1) The nearby coffee mug should give a clue about the size of the fruit.

Clue 2) There may be some argument about whether or not this is a fruit or a vegetable.

Guessing will end on Friday at 9:00 pm EST. Guess via the comments or on Facebook. Winner will be chosen at random from among the correct answers!

Grocery Shopping, Refugees and December’s Arrival

2010-12-06T06:00:00.000-05:00

Last week was a blur of busyness. We made a trip to Monrovia at the beginning of the week. Grocery stores are a glorious thing. We stocked up on a few groceries. Yes, cheese was purchased- cheddar, mozzarella and havarti. The biggest Monrovia surprise was that a few minutes before departing to come back to Ganta Kyle was asked to drive an extra vehicle back here. Six hours and 1,000 potholes later the two cars in our caravan made it back to Ganta! If you are wondering why that is such a big deal feel free to read a recent NPR story about Liberian roads for a better mental image.

On Wednesday we learned of refugees that are crossing over Liberia’s eastern border into Nimba County in the aftermath of the Ivory Coast’s recent election. EQUIP sent a team to the border to assess the need of the refugees and assist the response of other NGOs working in the area. The election results have resulted in violence in the capital city (no worries, it is far away from us!) and clashes amongst the divided Muslim and Christian populations.

So all in all an eventful week. Maybe a little too eventful…

The next couple of weeks will be extremely busy as we complete a lot of tasks in preparation for a short break for Christmas and the New Year. Even though we have only been in country for a short while we are looking forward to a little break. We have hit the ground running and we would like a few days to get our wits about us before plowing forward!

On another note when did December get here? I looked at my calendar the other day and I was convinced that it was wrong…How did this happen? December, really? Already?

We’ve been in Liberia for over a month now and the Christmas season is upon us! To be quite honest it is hard for us to even imagine being cold right now and since electricity is scarce there aren’t a whole lot of Christmas lights dangling from the eaves of the Ganta neighborhood houses. What we’re praying for is a deep sense of knowing the power of our Saviors birth, life, death and glorious Resurrection in the wake of this very different Christmas season. We’re praying the same for you and your family this Christmas season

Weekly Prayer Needs:

-Pray for rest and focus as we head into each new week.

-Pray for relationships among the ex-pat staff. We truly desire to be a blessing and point towards the Gospel in all we say and do.

-Pray for opportunities to disciple and encourage Liberian believers

-Pray that we would be seeking out daily time in God’s Word.

-Pray for discernment about how to aid the Ivorian refugees through the possible fall-out from the recent election results.

Poverty: No Cameras Please

2010-12-03T06:00:00.000-05:00

This past Sunday, I (Kyle) had the opportunity to sit with an elder in the church we are attending – a church planted by Liberians in an area of Ganta that they felt needed to have a place to hear the Word of God. This particular man has several children who are now in the USA studying at different universities across the country. We talked about many things – he had many questions about life in the USA. I told him about our home in North Carolina. I told him of the great food (it was past lunch time) and the different landscapes that he might see there. I also told him of how difficult life can be when children leave home and never come back, families that rarely see each other, or when you live next to your neighbors for years and never know them. He was shocked – this is a foreign concept in Liberia. Jessica and I have been having an ongoing discussion since we arrived in Liberia about how to share with our friends, family, and supporters about our life here. We want to be as real as we can in our words and the photos we post – however we have found ourselves “vexed” (a new favorite Liberian word) as of late.

As part of our preparations to come to Africa we took several training courses from EQUIP – one in particular made a deep impact on us and is challenging us as we work day to day with rural communities in Liberia. We as westerners tend to think of poverty as a lack of material things – food, water, shelter, income. etc. We feel compelled, perhaps out of our own human needs or perhaps out of a movement of The Holy Spirit – a fruit of Christ’s working in your life to take up the cause of poverty alleviation. This is a good thing – However, the truth of the matter is that the western world is deeply impoverished itself. It is not a material poverty we necessarily face in the U.S.A. (though it is alive and well) but we struggle with a deep seated spiritual, emotional, and relational poverty that we tend to medicate or “self-educate” away though one of our many programs, activities, or philosophies.

I say all of that to say this: we will not be sharing photos of many of the places we go. Don’t worry the blog won’t be photo-less. It just won’t have a lot of pictures of the physical poverty that we see around us each day. Trust us- it’s here and we have nothing to hide – but we do not want to aid in the lie that poverty exists only in photos of developing countries. When you see such images – search your heart for why it moves you. Do you see the poverty in your family? on your street? In your office? In your church? You don't have to go downtown to find it – its sitting in your chest – as it is in mine. Please pray that you and I will see poverty for what it is – our own sin and alleviate it wherever we may be. Not for our sake – but for Christ’s Glory.

Name That Fruit!!!!!

2010-12-01T06:00:00.000-05:00

Another competition on Wordless Wednesday! What kind of fruit is pictured above? It’s nothing exotic. I promise you know what it is, but it does look a little different than our American version. The winner will get a special prize in a year! (Sorry we can’t send the prizes sooner!)

Baby John Doe

2010-11-30T06:00:00.000-05:00

We have a Protection Department here at EQUIP Liberia. Protection/GBV (that stands for Gender Based Violence) deals with all types of abuse and abandonment issues with children and adults. It is no small task to confront the atrocities of rape, child abandonment, sexual abuse, etc… in a culture that has a broken justice system, but EQUIP’s GBV program is doing just that.

This past week in the midst of the staff meeting a 7 month old baby boy was dropped off. I (Jessica) met the little guy as he was crying and clearly struggling. His head was enlarged pointing clearly to his condition as hydro-cephalic. His mother had abandoned him and his father dropped him off at another local NGO and left. The back story led us to believe that because of the baby’s disorder the community that he is from had determined him to be a witch. Yes, you read that right; a witch. In Liberia when this happens it is nearly certain that the baby will die because of abandonment or the community will kill it. God, by His great grace and mercy allowed him to be dropped of on EQUIP’s doorstep. EQUIP is currently working to place him with an orphanage and assure that he gets the proper medical care.

Pray for this little one. We don’t know his name, but God does.

Long Days, Short Nights

2010-11-29T06:00:00.000-05:00

Every morning when we get to the EQUIP Liberia office we spend time greeting the Liberian staff. We always ask one another “How’s the night?” We were asked that one morning last week Kyle’s response was “Too short!” to which one of our Liberian friends responded “Nights in Liberia are always too short.” I wish someone would have informed us of that before we came here!

We have been so busy this past week that we nearly fall into bed at night. We went deep into the bush for a visit to two of EQUIP’s 23 clinics last Tuesday. It was a bumpy ride that ended with red dirt in our ears- the red dust comes in the windows of the car and you don’t realize you’re covered until you look in the mirror! My brain was mush by the end of the trip due to the constant bashing against my skull that it took. We’re gonna have to get used to these bush adventures! They put American 4 wheelin’ to shame!

The end of the week held another first for us! The monthly staff meeting with approximately 30 Liberian staff from all over Nimba county. It lasts for a couple of days and everyone reports on what is going on in their part of the county. We were able to learn the official way that the Liberian EQUIP staff (and Liberian’s in general) clap for one another. We will have to make a video to show you. It is the best clap ever! Although I don’t think that we can exude the Liberian joy with which they do their clap. Kyle and I both agreed we would have made the journey over here just to learn the clap.

You must be thinking, “When did they have time for Thanksgiving?” Well, we squeezed in somewhere in between our trip to the bush and staff meeting. Unfortunately the first day of staff meeting was scheduled for Thursday which put a damper on our American Thanksgiving. Liberians and Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving on a different day so it wasn’t a big deal to them. We managed (along with our co-workers, friends, fellow Americans -Patty, Kristen and Debbie) to throw together a nice meal on Wednesday evening. It came complete with stuffed chickens that we continuously referred to as “turkey”, mashed potatoes, pumpkin, corn, biscuits, green bean casserole, fried okra and apple spice cake.

Not the greatest picture but you can tell we had a spread!

This coming week is not going be a slow down for us! We are going to Monrovia for a much needed shopping trip and meetings. When we get back to Ganta we have a couple of meetings and more travelling to do. Pray that our Liberian nights will get longer so that we can get the sleep we need!

Weekly Prayer Needs:

-Pray for our protection and safety as we travel back and forth to Monrovia and the bush

-Pray for our relationships with those that we are working with. Pray that we would be an encouragement to them.

-Pray for us during the holidays that God would work out a way for us to have a special and relaxing holiday while we are away from friends and family.

-Pray that we would have opportunities to invest and disciple those around us.

When Thanksgiving Finds You

2010-11-25T01:00:00.000-05:00

It’s the simplicity here that drives my heart to Thanksgiving. In the scope of life and things we are living on slim pickings these days, but somehow my sense of gratitude has swelled bigger than I can remember. This past year has put our faith to the test. We wondered how we would ever make it to this little plastered concrete home with our gas stove and bucket for bathing, but God did it. We watched it. He did it. We’re amazed.

We now have faces in place of the waiting and wondering. We’ve met some amazing people so far. Liberians working and praying for their country. Men and women who believe that God can and will do a work among their people.

It’s the end of the rainy season, beginning of dry, but the rain just won’t quite let go. As I write this I’m listening to a storm from far off roll across the sky and pour cool rain over dry earth. The rain reminds me of my own abundant blessings. The way that this year and all that I have learned about myself, my heart and the God I serve has overwhelmed me and driven me to a sense of gratitude I’ve never known.

I hope this Thanksgiving finds you where you are.

Even in the midst of nowhere Africa it has found me.

Dollar, Dollar Bills, Ya’ll

2010-11-24T01:00:00.000-05:00

These are Liberian dollars. Impressed with our riches yet?

The first person to correctly guess the amount of money in U.S. dollars that is pictured above will win a personalized pair of Liberian bottle cap earrings.

Grocery Shopping

2010-11-23T01:00:00.000-05:00

I’ve eluded to the fact that the market is an interesting place here in Ganta. I will share pictures of the market very soon, but first I thought I would share a picture of the spoils of our Saturday shopping trip.

Soap, crackers, bananas, tomatoes, onions, bread, potatoes, and garlic. Kyle got a big bottle of water and a container of kerosene, but it didn’t make it into the photo shoot.

Another view of the spoils! These are the basics that you can get in Ganta. We are looking forward to a trip to Monrovia in a month to stock up on perishable items like cheese! Yes, I am a cheeseaholic and the lack thereof is quite a struggle. I can’t get any real milk either to make my own!

Blurg…

I hope that this picture doesn’t frighten anyone (mom and grandma). We are actually eating pretty well. We even had chocolate pudding for dessert on Friday night. DELISH!

Into the Bush

2010-11-22T01:00:00.000-05:00

We’re off to the bush (let’s just call it the sticks for all our Southern peeps) this week. USAID has come to do a tour of the infrastructure at a few clinics. EQUIP Liberia runs 23 clinics/health centers in Nimba county for Liberia’s Ministry of Health (MOH). This is all part of the Rebuilding Basic Health Services (RBHS) program supported by the MOH. Some of the clinics are deep, deep into the bush. Kyle and I will be going along on these trips.

On top of Kyle’s WATSAN responsibilities he will be working with his WATSAN teams on clinic infrastructure improvements. I am working with the RBHS program on maternal and child health. These trips will allow me to see the labor and delivery rooms at some of these remote clinics!

This is our 4th full week in Liberia and we are beginning to get settled into some semblance of a routine. We are praying about ministry opportunities. There is so much need and we want to be discerning about the resources, gifts and opportunities that the Lord gives us. Kyle has a group of men that are his WATSAN team. This provides a cohesive group of men that Kyle will be able to minister too. Pray that he will take advantage of opportunities to encourage and speak into the lives of these men.

Weekly Prayer Need:

-Pray that the Holy Spirit will lead and guide us as we look for ministry opportunities.

-Pray for God’s protection as we drive into the bush. Pray that our vehicles hold up!

-Pray for our families during this week of Thanksgiving. Pray that they would know how grateful we are for their love and support and would enjoy the holiday in spite of our absence.

Made in the Image of God

2010-11-19T06:00:00.000-05:00

Almost three weeks ago we set out for Liberia. That seems like millenia away today. We've witnessed scenes that defy description. I often find myself grasping desperately to paint a picture of our life, this life, Liberian life- and it is life even amidst poverty and death.

Last Sunday we attended our first church service in Ganta. It was wonderful and uncomfortable for us. Afterwards I spent a lot of time figuring out what I thought about our experience of African village church. Revelation followed soon after.

We know we're made in God's image as humans- that's Sunday School 101. White Americans tend ( at least I know I'm guilty of this) to imagine God's image as white. At church on Sunday I saw god's image imprinted deeply on a black face and it wrecked me. Africans, and every other ethnicity and culture for that matter, are made to reflect God's image in a way that if they didn't exist God would not be known. God has never been a white man.

Amidst the drum beats, dancing and preaching God's image was radiant.

We live in a fallen world. By God's grace we can witness Him hovering in the midst of our fallenness.

Snakes on a Plane

2010-11-18T01:00:00.000-05:00

O.k., not snakes on a plane. Snakes in our house. Yes, it has already happened. I hadn’t planned on posting today, but then this happened last night

Yes, on top of our toilet paper roller (sigh of relief because it is broken and we haven’t been using it!) we found that beaut. Yep, another baby green mamba. I know it doesn’t look like much, but they are super dangerous. I wish we had documentation of what followed. Our guards will kill snakes for 100LD (about $1.50 USD) so we called Joseph over and asked him to kill it for us. After locating the snake Joseph whacked at him with a stick as the snake flipped and twirled around.

As our friend Patti said- “I’m scared for Joseph, but not scared enough to help.”

Finally the snake gave up the ghost! Joseph is my new hero. Really. Forever. I’m making an “I heart Joseph” t-shirt.

Speechless Wednesday

2010-11-17T06:00:00.001-05:00

This is the Methodist church in Ganta. This beautiful old church survived through repeated attack during the war. There is a story from the war that an RPG once went through the front window and out a back window without exploding. It is clear that God has preserved this beautful old church.

Home Sweet Home

2010-11-16T06:00:00.002-05:00

Welcome to our home! We really like our new place. Our humble abode has just the right amount of space. We have running water (for bathing) and a well pump (for drinking) right outside our door! That is luxury!

Sorry about the size, but the smaller the photo the quicker the upload. Trust me it is excruciating! Get out your magnifying glass!

We only have generator power for a few hours a day (in the morning and the evening). Enough to keep our fridge and freezer cool. Kyle has rigged up a battery system to provide lights after the generator turns off at night. The lights are rope lights like what you would see in a tiki bar at the beach. Every night is a party at the Hoovers' house! Kyle also rigged a car battery to power a fan (a must have during the night!).

We are supposedly only temporarily in this space. An older lady who lived in the rehab compound formany years will be returning to live in our place. This means we will have to move next door which is a very different spacef rom where we are now. It is essentially two rooms without a kitchen. Pray that the Lord would work it out that we can stay in our current "home"!

Upcountry Living

2010-11-15T08:02:00.001-05:00

Finally "home"! We made it to Ganta on Thursday evening and were welcomed with a big dinner by our new neighbors/coworkers! Our home is part of a compound adjacent to a leprosy and TB rehab community. We refer to it simply as "rehab" and is run by Italian nuns. The sisters are just precious and we really couldn't ask for better landlords!

Friday, we unpacked our bags and headed into town to get our bearing this involved setting up a bank account and having lunch (jolla rice- basically rice, onions, beans, chicken and lots of spice!). Upon our return to rehab the sisters showed us our first snake by their front door, a dead (chopped in half by the guard) baby green mamba! Yowzers- no thank you- this is the part where Kyle and I go and stuff anything we can find underneath our doors so that we don't have an unwelcomed visitors. We can deal with the lizards on the walls- they eat bugs and won't kill us- but not green mambas on our floors!

Saturday we came to the Equip office and helped out for a few hours. Afterwards we continued into town for our introduction to the open air market. Clothes, rice, produce and the very distrubing bush meat section. Imagine charred animal (chimpanzee arms, deer legs, etc..) parts rotting in the heat. Needless to say I won't be buying a lot from that section...

Sunday we went to church in the nearby village- the leprosy and TB rehab village. Unbeknownst to us it was mission Sunday and we got to go through the village talking with folks and encouraging them to come to church the next Sunday. It was a good way to learn about the community which is right at our back door. This is our "Jerusalem" so please pray that we would be intentional with this isolated community.

We've been able to talk with our family via our cellphones and we have a surprisingly clear connection and good signal! The bonus is that it is only between 5-10 cents a minutes! So don't be surprised if you get a phone call from us one day! It is an incredible blessing to hear familar voices!

Today we start "work". Kyle has a mountain of work ahead of him. He is working on a proposal due at the end of the month for charity water that would given the Equip Liberia's WATSAN (water and sanitation) dept. $150,000 to work with! I'm going to be working on a maternal health project called "Mama Kits" that is meant to improve the rate of women giving birth in the clinics. We've got our hands full!

Weekly Prayer Needs:

Pray that we would continue to get settled in and that we would continue to improve our grasp of the culture and dialect- our Liberian friends are speaking English but it certainly doesn't sound like it sometimes.

Pray that we would be intentional in encouraging the other expats (non-Liberians) towards the Gospel.

Waiting Game

2010-11-09T05:29:00.003-05:00

Uncertainty is the name of the game.

We still haven't moved up country. We hope that it will happen by the latest at the end of next weekend. We're really hoping for Thursday. The end of the weekend is the absolute latest that we can bare for it to happen I think. Please pray that it would all come together and that we would practice patience and humility in the mean time.

Otherwise we are doing fine. Sunday we enjoyed our first dose of Liberian church and got a scenic tour of Monrovia. There is still a sense that something terrible and dark happened here. Kyle and I both sensed it as we toured the downtown area. Pray that we would be a light of hope to a people still very much recovering from an awful conflict.

I still haven't uploaded any pictures but I am hoping for a fast enough internet connection to start uploading a video log once a week! How great will that be? Much love from Liberia!

Too Plenty!

2010-11-08T06:00:00.001-05:00

It seems since I (Kyle) haven't had a chance to check the email in a week or so (not so bad mind you) I was given the chance to blog for Monday. For the past week I have been supervising the concrete work for a second floor roof addition for the Waines home in Monrovia. To put it gently - things are not built here like they are in the States. Concrete forms are not made out of steel and well cut wood. They are made out of wahwah and bush poles....which work well! In addition to materials - how workers "think" about their work is different as well. Its not about how well things are constructed - but how little work can I do to get paid - wait..maybe its not all that different....

I spent a better part of the week trying to "encourage" them to revisit how they mix their concrete. Little did I know that a small blip in my life when I designed/mixed/inspected concrete would be so handy! For our project we needed "rich" concrete and instructed them what we needed for the mix. When the materials exceeded the usual amounts used to make Liberian concrete out came screams of TOO PLENTY! TOO PLENTY! (translated: TOO MUCH MAN!) When I insisted on a different way to mix the concrete - out came TOO PLENTY! TOO PLENTY! When I stated how much concrete we needed to mix you guessed it TOO PLENTY! TOO PLENTY! God in His Grace allowed my pea brain to calcuate the right amounts that it wasnt too plenty - but just enough. By the end of the week - they were mixing the amounts of materials without prodding - they mixed it in the proper manner (that required more work), and they started to see that quality work is just as important as getting paid - or so I hope.

Thank you Lord for a week to work with Liberians - and may this week lead to a change in their hearts that changes their character as professing men of God, and a change in their culture, country, and this continent. May Your Grace never be TOO Plenty.

Stating the Obvious

2010-11-05T10:44:00.002-04:00

We have had many interesting Liberian experiences thus far. Way more than we have time to share on the blog. However, here is a quick interaction that should bring a few laughs!

Kyle has been working outside these 1st few days. On a couple of occasions, including yesterday, he has made a trip down to the beach. The beach is only a short walk from the house we are staying in. After work Kyle made his way with Equip Liberia's director (Dave) down to the beach for a swim. There were quite a few Liberians out on the beach and when they saw Kyle and Dave this is what they said:

"Look, Look, white men go swimming!" (obviously said with a Liberian accent)

Liberians apparently don't really swim so this was an event! Someone was not only going swimming, but they were also white! I am sure that this is the first of many similar experiences.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-04T06:25:00.004-04:00

Yesterday we found out that today is Liberian Thanksgiving! We asked around, but we've gotten few details on what goes on during Liberian Thanksgiving! All we know is that it is a holiday and kids are out of school and people are off of work. Some told us that they go to church, eat and then do nothing.

Even though the Liberians are having a holiday it is business as usual for all the expats. We are hopefully heading up country to Ganta on Friday or Saturday of this week!

We will try post some pictures soon. It would help if I would take some!

1st Blog Post from Liberia!

2010-11-03T05:34:00.006-04:00

First things first:
We're alive! I know some of you were beginning to have your doubts! Hugs and kisses and immense gratitude for all your prayers and encouragement. The Lord carried us over the Atlantic safely. Boy, were we glad to be done with flying and by "we" I mean me, Jessica.

We arrived to Monrovia at 8:00pm (West African time- 3:00 pm for the East coast of the U.S.). We wrangled our way through Liberian customs and baggage. We were guided through the "diplomats" line because of our wise decision to sport our homemade EQUIP Liberia I.D. tags. This was a relief because it meant that our bags would not be searched!(again) David Waines' face was a welcome sight when we exited the airport doors. We quickly loaded our bags amidst the chaos and were taken to a wonderful dinner. After a couple of days of airport/airplane food fiery Liberian pepper chicken (I mean fiery!) was a delicious and welcome treat! By the end of dinner we were close to falling asleep in our plates, but our next stop wasn't quite bed. I won't even begin to describe what the other stop was for, but will suffice it to say that I ended up with shoes full of sand and still was uncertain what we had just done. When our heads hit the pillow under the mosquito net that night we were out!

Our first couple of days have been full of firsts. First Liberian driving lessons (defensive driving to say the least), Liberian meals, Liberian building supply stores, Liberian heat, Liberian humidity, Liberian thunderstorms, Liberian roads (a bit bumpy and our vehicles have snorkels). We're working on a few things around Monrovia and by the end of the week hope to be heading to our new "home" up country in Ganta. We are really looking forward to settling in and diving in to work there. As we've been briefed it is clear that there is much work for both Kyle and I to do.

Please pray for us as our bodies continue to adjust to Liberia. We're still a bit jet-lagged and our bodies are trying to figure out what "normal" is, imagine that?!

Our blog posts will be spotty over the next few days until we get to where we are headed. Then we will get on more of a regular schedule and maybe even share some pictures. I am sorry that we don't have pictures to prove that we are alive and well. For now trust that we are in good health and spirits!

We're here! We're here! We're finally here!

Live from Liberia,
Kyle and Jessica

Leavin'...On a Jet Plane!

2010-10-30T06:00:00.000-04:00

We're leavin' on a jet plane! Today is the day! All the packing, praying, planning comes to fruition. We step out into the unknown. We don't know what the next week looks like. Actually we're not even sure about the next 36 hrs. We will update you as soon as we can. If you're lucky you might even get travel updates! Oh, airport WIFI!

Can we ask for one more thing? Again? Pray?! Please pray for our hearts, minds and bodies to be sustained through this time of traveling and the days ahead!

We're doing it! Finally! Next week the blog will be coming from Liberia! WAHOO!

The Journey Thus Far

2010-10-29T06:00:00.003-04:00

You would think that today's post would be a blur of what we are doing to get ready to leave tomorrow. Yes, we are busily tying up loose ends, but I (Jessica) wanted to steal away from the craziness for a moment. Today is our 5th wedding anniversary. It's unlike any other to date! I wanted to write a little post about my husband. No worries, I'm not the ooey gooey type, but I am the "love my husband like a crazy woman type".

Kyle's a geologist. I tease him about this- kind of a lot, but don't let my teasing fool you. I think he's awesome. We've been transient for about 3 months and it hasn't been easy. No home, no job, having to depend on others, but I have seen my husband rise to the challenge because he sees the bigger picture. He sees the work of his hands as a path way for the Gospel. He's determined to walk that path in faith.

When I agreed to marry him about 6 years ago (it's a long story- but a good one) I knew it would mean walking in the direction of the unknown. 5 years into it the unknown is about all that we have known for sure thus far. He's my rock (ironic considering the geologist thing!) and I've watched our marriage grow as he has stepped forward in faith. I know I am stepping into the unknown with a faithful God and the bonus of a husband whose eyes are fixed on Christ.

So tomorrow we leave for Liberia. This journey doesn't begin tomorrow. It began long ago with seeds that God has planted,watered and is only now bringing to fruition in our lives. I'm grateful for a God who gives good gifts. I am overwhelmed with love for a husband whose faith encourages my own to put aside fear and anxiety and take up the cross of Christ.

Pray for our marriage through this next year. Pray that we would love each other well. Kyle, by God's grace, has done a great job so far.

What a great love that has been given to all that would receive it in Christ Jesus!

It's All Grace,
Jessica

"How deep the Father's Love for us, how vast beyond all measure. That He would give His only Son to make a wretch His treasure."

Just Checking In

2010-10-27T06:00:00.000-04:00

No wordless wednesday
Just checking in...

party- check
time with family- in process
packing- in process
car- sold, awaiting delivery
to do list- slowly but surely

The devil's in the details. Sometimes I think that this is a literal statement. We need your prayers to finish this leg of the race strong.

Countdown!

2010-10-25T08:52:00.005-04:00

The countdown is on! We're counting the days and nearly the hours until we leave for Liberia! Please keep us lifted up to the Lord this week! We will be leaving on Saturday morning...

Pray for...
packing
time with family
last minute details
dealing with anxiety
loving each other well
protection from the evil one
traveling safety

Like I said on Friday, don't count on a whole lot out of the blog this week. It's gonna be a crazy one!

Packing It All In: 7 Days and Counting!

2010-10-22T06:00:00.002-04:00

So we're packing. Really this time. Really packing. Packing for a year...in the third world. What do you take? What do you not take? HOW WILL IT ALL FIT?!

We're taking everything plus...

You read it right...the kitchen sink...
(yes, Jenn. I do wear that shirt all.the.time.)

Next week begins the real countdown. We are almost Liberia Bound for real! We fly out of Raleigh/Durham on Saturday the 30th. This next week will involve a lot of family time, more packing, last minute errands, and a lot of hugs and prayers. Blogging isn't our top priority in this next week, but we will try to keep you apprised on everything all the way up to the big leaving day!

Wordless Wednesday on a Thursday

2010-10-21T06:00:00.000-04:00

This isn't even the half of it. Packing for a year...it's harder than it looks.

Lots of Questions on a Tuesday

2010-10-19T06:00:00.002-04:00

The last few weeks we've been answering all kinds of questions about Liberia and the work ahead. Today, well...I just can't do it. Why might you ask? Truth is I'm tired of answering questions when I have so many of my own. Kyle and I are ready to go, see, and do everything that we've been talking about for months on this blog. Don't get me wrong. I love blogging and sharing with all of our readers about what God is preparing us for...it's just...well...we're ready to go. Won't you pray for us and with us for these answers to come!

We leave in 10 days and we need your prayers. We are going to a country that war has ravaged. We are going to live amidst people that look and act very different from us. The reality is that the answers may be hard to swallow. The answers may change us more than we are able to change anything that we see and experience. This isn't a request for pity. It is a call to get on your knees and plead for God to guide, teach and protect us as we go. Scratch that- you don't have to get on your knees. Sit right where you are in front of your blinking computer screen and lift our names up to the Heavenly Father.

We've got so many questions. Luckily we know the One with the answers.

Monday Update

2010-10-18T06:00:00.002-04:00

Well, today Kyle is on to the last of the water technologies courses here at EQUIP U.S.A. The filters and the well drilling courses were a big success with many missionaries being trained to take technology that will improve people's lives drastically all over the world! The pumps course is already in progress!

The following video is of Kyle's well drilling team trying out there newly finished well. Well dug, pump installed, now let's take it for a spin! Watch this video and more on our new youtube channel!

Kyle trying out the new well! He thinks he looks like Patton with the boots rolled up and the hard hat...I think, well...nevermind what I think...

Here is a picture of Kyle's entire team + Kieth the head instructor (in the middle)!

It's been beautiful weather here in Marion,NC. Kyle has really made the most of it. 75% of class time is spent outdoors working! I (Jessica) on the other hand have been opening all the windows in the knock-off Airstream, staring dreamily out the window and tip-typing away on the laptop. I've had a lot of last minute projects to finish up before we leave for Liberia. I've emailed, blogged, added to my to-do list and written newsletters until I swear I have tiny bruises on my fingertips! Check your mailbox soon for our October newsletter!

We can hardly believe that we are less than two weeks away from leaving for Liberia! Then on the other hand we are so ready to go!

Weekly Prayer Need: Pray for our relationships with those we will be working with in Liberia. What I mean is pray for the other workers that we will be working alongside. Pray that our relationships would be God honoring and pray that we would be a gracious light of the Gospel to those we might work alongside of that don't yet know the saving power of Christ. Pray that we would find Christian community and that we would be intentional in living out the Gospel to anyone we have opportunity to minister too.

Friday Video! Please Watch!

2010-10-15T09:06:00.003-04:00

A video on this Friday. Watch this video and 43 cents is automatically donated to the Liberian Widows Initiative! All for watching a wedding video of a precious couple!

Wordless Wednesday...afternoon

2010-10-13T12:49:00.003-04:00

SWO folks note the t-shirt. Alaskan's note the Xtra Tuffs.

Question and Answer on a Tuesday

2010-10-12T06:00:00.000-04:00

Quick question and answer:

When do you leave? October 30th, 2010

How long will you be there?
Our commitment is currently for a year, but we will have to see how God leads! Read this passage of Scripture if you have any other questions.

What will your living accommodations be like?
We don't have a lot of info on this subject. We will have a water pump by our living quarters. Rumor has it our water pump has hot water. That is almost unheard of! We will also have access to a gas stove. On the other hand we won't have a refrigerator. We will have electricity only when the generator is turned on which is just a couple of hours a day.

Are you going to continue blogging?
Yes, but the blog schedule may be a bit altered. Electricity will be in short supply so we will have to learn to work around it. No electricity means no internet.

What is the time difference?
Liberia is 4 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time.

Can we send packages?
Yes, but it is a bit complicated. If you are interested in doing this please contact us directly and we can get you the appropriate information to send us mail.

These are questions we get asked a ton. If there is any other burning questions shoot us an email or leave it in the comments.

Monday Update

2010-10-11T06:00:00.000-04:00

Strange to be writing without Kyle near by! Yesterday Kyle headed back to Marion,NC (just down the mountain from AVL) for the well drilling class. Upon the encouragement of my (Jessica here!) friend Cecilia I am spending a couple more days in Asheville. This is the first time in over three months that Kyle and I have been apart for more than a couple of hours! No worries, I'll head back to Marion on Tuesday! A big thanks to the Goodrum family for their gracious hospitality.

FYI: We leave exactly 3 weeks from this past Saturday! Gulp.

Yeah, you read that right. Three weeks from this past Saturday we will be on a plane headed to Europe and then from there it will be on to Liberia! God has prepared us for this journey. We've seen God's hand from the beginning to the end (which is still yet to be seen) and every bump of the road in between.

Weekly Prayer Need: This might sound like a small request, but I promise it comes from a genuine heart and out of a place of real need. Please pray for our travels, but it's more than that, specifically pray that God would protect and keep me (Jessica) in the midst of anxiety. I HATE TO FLY! I do. Truly. It makes me anxious, nauseous and difficult to be around. Pray that Kyle will be able to love and comfort me through the 20+ hours of flying that we will endure to get to Liberia.

3 Months as Nomads

2010-10-08T06:00:00.001-04:00

We're enjoying the Airstream knock-off tremendously. We feel so blessed by God's provision for us over the last 3 months. 3 months ago today, can you believe it? That is how long we have been without a residence of our own and traveling here and there like nomads. Not once have we had to wonder where we would lay our heads at night. Not once have we been without a meal. Every cent of the money we've needed to get by has been there when we needed it.

God is trustworthy. His Word is true. We've only touched the tip of the iceberg these last 3 months.

Psalm 37:25
I was young and now I am old,
yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
or their children begging bread.

I hope this weekend finds you with your own stones of remembrance. Remembrance of all that God has done in your life and all that God is doing. Thanks for reading this blog. We can't wait to share with you more of God's faithfulness as this journey unfolds.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-10-06T06:00:00.000-04:00

Believe it or not this is a water filtration system, a bio-sand filter to be exact. Imagine if our friends nose was running...that's where the water comes out! If you'd like to learn how to make this filtration system check out Equip International's website for details and a course schedule.

How's the Weather?

2010-10-05T06:00:00.000-04:00

It's fall...and we're loving it. We realize that the coolness in the air won't be felt for a long while. The heat and humidity of Liberia will be our every day for the next year. We're drinking in the slight chill in the air. We're really enjoying living in the Airstream knock-off and feeling the full effect of this magnificent autumn that is upon us. That leads me to this weeks question...

What is Liberia's climate like?

Well, we've probably answered this a time or two, but I (Jessica) figure that the subject is worth looking at a little more closely. Liberia is located just north of the equator. I assume that most folks reading this blog know what that means, but just in case here's a little diagram:

Close to the equator = really stinkin' hot

Liberia is tropical. The wonderful part is that tropical means fruit! Pineapples, mangoes, other miscellaneous unidentifiable fruit! Tropical also means steamy. Humidity that just slaps you in the face and floods your lungs the second you walk out of your door. Imagine North Carolina at the height of the summer when the heat and the humidity are almost unbearable. It's that, but worse we are told. Good thing Kyle and I both grew up in central N.C.! Although we've been spoiled by our mild mountain weather! It will definitely be an adjustment! I'm of the opinion that God prepares us and gives us grace even to endure the weather/climate.

We will miss out on the changing of the four seasons. In its place we will have the rainy and the rainier season. David Waines said that the Liberian people call it the small, small rain and the lotta rain. That sounds better than the rainy and rainier seasons. Takes the edge off of it a bit.

We've been told that Liberia's climate is harsh by any standards. The result is lots of mosquitoes and "interesting" wildlife. We've discussed the mosquito issue. Mosquitoes (of the anophales kind) mean malaria. Malaria=boo.

What does all this mean? We adjust our packing list to account for the climate and all that it brings with it. Screen for the windows, a fan (to make sleeping possible), light weight and SPF clothing, hats, sunscreen, ultra healing lotion, etc.

Monday Update

2010-10-04T06:00:00.001-04:00

In July we were at Equip Canada. October we are at Equip U.S.A. They are different, but the same. Today we officially start the bio-sand filters course. Yes, even I (Jessica) am taking this course. Kyle is taking/assisting with the course. It's gonna be awesome.

We wrapped up our time with friends in Andrews last week. A great big hug and kiss to the Mcsweens. They so graciously hosted us for almost 3 weeks while we were hanging our hats in Andrews. It was such a blessing to have encouragement from our SWO family for an extended period of time.

We've been transient for 3 months at this point. It's been a wild ride and we would be lying if we said that we're not itching for this ride to settle down. Keep in mind that up to this point we have stayed in creekside cabins, a storage shed, with a multitude of friends and families homes and now a beautiful Airstream knock-off. We are trying out our dream of living in an "Airstream" for the next 3 weeks. This too will be awesome.

Squinty faced in front of the Airstream knock-off

Our current abode...a dream come true.

We're blessed to be spending a few more weeks at Equip. Pray that God would teach us much and that Kyle would be able to help other missionaries grow and learn how to share the Water of Life through the gift of clean water.

Weekly Prayer Need: Pray that we would have focused time with the Lord. Pray that we would find time to be alone and quiet before the Lord as we make the final preparations before leaving in a couple of weeks.

Here is the promised picture of the car. Isn't it nice? Don't you want to buy it?